What Lies Within: The Depths of the Heart
by Silverbeam
Summary: Now 18, Kagome has been training as a priestess to help the party. She is stronger, but there is more to her power than was thought. She will need strength and trust to prevail. There are others who see what she could be capable of. And they want her.
1. A Normal Day, Almost

"Hey! Kagome! Sango! Lookit me! Watch me!" The following splash marked the young fox demon's entry into the peaceful lake. The tree branch he had dived off of still swayed slightly from the tiny weight it had just held. Another smaller splash sounded as Shippo broke the surface, blowing water off his lips.

"Hey guys! Didja see? Were you watchin?" Paddling as fast as he could manage, Shippo swam to where the two girls lay sunbathing on the shore. Both were leaning up to watch Shippo as he had gleefully dived and frolicked in the cool clear water. Both smiled as a soaked Shippo happily trudged through the shallow water to where they lay on the sand, soaking up the heat from the sun beating down.

"It was awesome, Shippo! That was a really great dive! If you were a little boy in my time, you would be great on the diving competition" Kagome beamed at Shippo. He was like a little brother to her. She couldn't imagine what life would be like if she hadn't met him.

"Kagome's right, that was amazing! And it was really daring of you to go so high atop the tree." Sango said. She shared Kagome's affection for Shippo, and encouraged any show of bravery on his part.

Raising one hand to the back of his head Shippo blushed and looked at his feet for a moment

"Thanks guys..." Quickly, he glanced at the tree he had just jumped off of, a small smile forming on his mouth

"I'm going to climb even higher and do a backflip!"

Before either girl could say a word, he was off.

Sango sighed, "Kagome, this is great. Getting to relax, it's such a beautiful day." Sango glanced down at herself for a moment, viewing her figure clad in the purple strapless one-piece. "And these 'swim-suits' are wonderful, if a bit revealing. I still can't imagine wearing one of those... what did you call it?"

"It's a bikini, or a two piece, and it's really not that bad." Kagome grinned." At home, girls wear these all the time. Just wait till the boys come out. They probably think they're wearing underwear." The girls giggled together at the thought.

"Hey girls! Sango, I must warn you, you may have to delve deep inside yourself to find control when you see me"

Turning to see the source of the voice, there was Miroku, proudly standing in the green swim trunks Kagome had brought for him. Sango hid a chuckle behind her hand.

"Oh, I think I'll manage." Rising up from her beach towel, Sango posed sideways. "What do you think of the one Kagome brought for me? Do you like it?"

Miroku slowly blushed as he gazed at Sango. The simple suit hugged every curve. She had chosen it because it seemed to have the most fabric, but the clinging material left little to wonder about. The simple neckline let Sango's chest show itself off, and the cut of the leg on the suit made it seem as those hers went on forever. The rich purple only emphasized her flawless skin. Miroku stood dumbfounded; a lecherous smile gradually crept across his face. He was in his glee as he slowly stepped toward the unsuspecting girl.

Sango felt gooseflesh crawl along her neck and her cheeks turn red. "Well? Do you plan on answering me today or are you just going to stand there like an idiot?"

The breath on her neck was closer than she had anticipated as she heard "Will this answer suffice?" Next there was a man's hand cupping and caressing her bottom. Sango gasped, and the red in her cheeks flushed to her whole face. Sensing what was coming, Miroku cringed away, trying to get closer to the water.

"YOU PERVERT!" A slap cracked through the air "LOOKING AND TOUCHING ARE TWO!" a second slap, "SEPERATE!" a third, "THINGS!" The final one sent Miroku flying on his back into the shallow water. Sango fumed and panted with the effort. She promptly sat down and wrapped herself in the beach blanket. "I should have known better than to trust that lecher" She could feel the flush on her cheeks, both sets. From his perch in the tree, Shippo looked on. i That idiot. He never learns. /i

Kagome smiled, i typical Miroku/i she thought. Turning towards Sango, it was obvious the other girl was still upset with the monk, but Kagome new Sango kind of liked the attention. By the shore, Miroku sat in the water the ripples from his fall still spreading out from his waist. He sighed and pressed a hand to his face now marked with Sango's handprints. "I always say it's worth it, but this time was the best!"

As Sango aimed a rock at his head, Kagome took hold of her wrist.

"Wait, don't throw a rock at him, your likely to knock him out in the water... why don't you go for a swim with him and Shippo? It's getting really warm out here and I'm going to go in to, in a second"

Sango glared at Miroku in distrust. "Ok, but I swear, if he tries that again, I'll drown him."

Miroku threw his hands up in mock defeat. "I promise, I'll restrain myself. Swimming only in this lake." He beamed his trademark boyish grin. Sango stood and dropped the towel, much to Miroku's delight. Turning his back to her, he swam further out, where Shippo had just jumped off the highest branch he could reach. Stepping into the water, Sango looked over her shoulder, "You coming Kagome?"

"One more second." Kagome watched as her friends enjoyed the refreshing water. She could hardly believe there was a time when she had not known them. They were family to her, and she to them. As she started to rise, she noticed there was yet one more missing from the group... where was InuYasha? i Why hasn't he come out yet/i Kagome thought. "I'm going to get InuYasha, I'll be right back!" she called as she headed towards the few shrubs that marked where the sand of the beach met the grass.

"You don't need to look for me, I'm right here" the half-demon stepped out from behind the bushes furthest to Kagome's right. Still looking down at his own red and yellow swim trunks that Kagome had picked out for him, InuYasha walked towards her. "I don't know why you girls couldn't just go to the hot springs like normal; the water is just too damn cold. And I look like an idiot." As always, InuYasha's tone was gruff. "Miroku may be used to that, but I'm sure as ... hell... not..."

InuYasha's words trailed away as he looked up to see Kagome in front of him. There, standing not two feet away was Kagome in the tiniest... i something /i he had ever seen. Girls didn't wear this! Kagome didn't wear a hell of a lot compared to girls he knew, but this was... this was... A LOT LESS! Kagome was now 18, and developed a beautiful figure. The black bikini with the sport style top was one of Kagome's favorites, but to InuYasha, it looked as though the top had been attacked by Kilala, and for the bottom, InuYasha simply couldn't believe, it was like some type of undergarment! First shock, then embarrassment, then something akin to jealousy of others seeing her like this washed over him. He responded to this in typical fashion.

"Wh...what the hell are you wearing? Is that it? You practically NAKED! Did Miroku see you? I bet that pervert hanging around behind a bush gettin off on this!" As his words came out in a rush, InuYasha first peeked behind the nearby bushes, then grabbed Kagome's wrist and landed her behind the closest bush that he thought would cover her. As she tried to get back up, he placed a hand on her head, preventing her from rising any further from a kneel.

"InuYasha..." she said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not letting you out from behind the bush till you put some damn clothes on..."

"Well, that's nice, but YOU don't decide what I wear, so LET... ME... I UP/I It's a swimsuit I wear all the time, lots of people have seen me in it, so knock it off!"

InuYasha recoiled enough for Kagome to stand. "Lots? What do you mean 'lots'? Have other guys seen you?"

Kagome smiled for a moment, "InuYasha, you're jealous!"

"I AM NOT!" He turned his back to her, "Why would I give a damn if you want guys to look at you like your piece of meat and it's supper time. It's fine with me!"

Kagome clenched her fists and did her best to bore a hole into the his head with her glare, but to no avail... i That jerk/I

Sango, Miroku and Shippo turned in the direction of the noise. Sango sighed.

"They're at it again... can't they make it through one day without a fight?"

"InuYasha probably said something about her bathing suit, he's so jealous, but he'll never admit it." Shippo said as he started to paddle back to shore.

"Kagome can handle him, she always has." As soon Miroku finished his sentence, the threesome saw InuYasha flying thru the air, landing a bellyflop in the water just a past the shallow water. Sango was the first to reach him. As she approached, he peeked his head out of the water and glared at her.

"I could kill you for teaching her to throw people like that..."

Sango stared for a moment, then looked at Kagome who had sat in the water, a considerable distance from her disgruntled projectile. "Well... I didn't expect that ..."

"Yeah, it coulda been worse. She coulda said sit!" Shippo added.

"You little..!" InuYasha reached out for the smaller demon. Sango snatched Shippo out of harms way, and smiled "Let's just enjoy the rest of the day before we head back to the village, ok? The water's nice, the day's warm..."

"And I brought lunch..." Kagome had made her way over to the rest of the group. i Gotta call truce at some point, he won't /I

"...Fine, let's eat then, I'm starved." InuYasha stood up and started back to the beach.

Kagome watched as her friends headed back in, and smiled, i Fighting or not, I love being here in the Feudal Era with... everyone. /i

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After spending the day at the beach, the group had returned to the village, and was presently sitting around the small fire in Kaede's hut. Kaede wanted to discuss the Jewel.

"Kagome, ye have been here for a few years now, and ye have collected most of the shards. How many are there left?" Kaede's wizened, yet welcomed voice came at her from her right. Looking at the almost complete jewel hanging from her neck, Kagome tried to make an estimate. "I'm not sure, around twenty pieces, more or less, I think."

Kaede nodded, "Ye should be wary then, more demons will surface, and they will be strong, and quite dangerous. As the jewel comes closer to being whole again the more deadly the ones who would want it become"

"Hah, "InuYasha sneered from the corner he sat in, arm propped on one knee, "We've killed every demon to come our way since we started looking for the jewel shards, we'll kill anymore that show up."

"Ye shouldn't be so cocky, InuYasha, not every demon is the same. These will not be like Naraku, or even the Band of Seven. Ye will have to watch every step."

"Whatever, we'll get them before they get us"

Kagome glanced up, "We'll worry about that when it comes. Kaede? I think it's time now." As she stood and left the hut, InuYasha turned to the elder.

"Why do you continue training her, Kaede? You said yourself her powers are strong enough as it is, and she already has enough to worry about with the jewel shards. Besides..." his voice dropped a level, "I'm here... "

The old lady stood. "You do not understand, InuYasha. Kagome's powers are ... more than what I had originally thought. Since she has been spending more and more time here, I have had a better chance to see her capabilities. She has healing powers, purification; she may even be able to use them for defense, eventually. I'm not sure we've even tapped into them fully yet." glancing up at the now enraptured group, Kaede finished the shocking message, "She may be more powerful than Kikyou ever was. Much more." With that, Kikyou's sister exited the hut, following the path that Kagome had taken, to the small secluded clearing where the training would be taken place.

"Stronger than Kikyou? I had no idea she had those capabilities, I mean, I sensed she was strong, but..." Miroku trailed off in shock.

Shippo thought for a moment, "didn't she say Kagome might be able to use her powers for defense too? Sango, does that mean she won't need us?" His voice was pained.

"Shippo, of course not. Kagome will always want us with her, and she may not always need us to help her all the time, we are her friends, and she always needs us near her anyway." Sango picked up the young demon and hugged him.

InuYasha remained silent. Shippo had voiced his thoughts. What if Kagome didn't need him anymore? He knew her spiritual powers were already impressive, more than once, she had saved him or one of the others with one of her Miko's arrows. But... he was her protector... would she want him around anymore, when she could protect herself?


	2. One Night, Two Discoveries

As Kagome reached the clearing, she took in a large breath of air. She loved the training, even though it was tiring at times. Kagome knew that most of the training was typical for one who would become a priestess, but she had made it clear that while she did want to learn more to do good with her powers, she would not become a part of that order. Kaede had accepted this, as she knew it the life of a priestess would not be for Kagome, and so had taught her things other than those used by a miko. Kaede had first taken her into training two years ago, after Kagome had become fairly skilled with the bow and arrow. Since then, they had trained every day she was in the Feudal Era, which was now almost every day, from early evening sometimes until late in the night. It was taxing, yet rewarding. She had become an expert shot with the bow and arrow, and with Kaede's help, learning more about her powers for healing and purification, and how to use them. Kagome was fascinated with her powers. It felt like she shouldn't have them, but now, there were things that came so easily. Like purifying a small bowl of acid, or healing the broken wing of a bird. _ With these powers, I can help InuYasha and the others if they're ever hurt in battle  
_

Kagome saw a small stick lying in the center of the large sand circle she and Kaede used for training. Glancing around and seeing Kaede was not anywhere near, she focused on the stick. In her minds eye, she saw her power as a small beam of light. Narrowing it to a fine point, she concentrated harder. The stick quivered at first, then slowly, steadily lifted in the air. From there it was fairly easy. Allowing the feeling of her powers to wash over her, as Kaede had taught, Kagome brought the stick to her, letting it hover for a moment in front of her eyes, before dropping it into her hand.

Kaede did not yet know about this, and Kagome didn't know how to tell her. This wasn't just spiritual powers... this was magic. She wasn't sure if it was bad for humans to have this kind of magic, but her intentions were never malevolent. Behind her, she heard the rustling of leaves.

"Kaede! I was wondering when you would get here, what took you so long?"

"I had stopped to speak with your friends for a moment. Were ye deep in thought, child? Ye should have sensed me before ye heard me."

Kagome smiled, "It was nothing important, I should have kept my mind clear. 'Always on guard, always pay attention', right? Let's start training. You said last time you wanted me to try something new?"

Kaede nodded. Passing the young woman, she sat on one side of the circle and indicated for Kagome to sit on the opposite. Kagome knelt, fixing her white haori and pants, both with blue trim. This outfit she had chosen to wear only when training, Kaede had told her white light was the most benevolent, and Kagome felt the cleansing sense of the white fabric helped her concentrate.

"Ok Kagome, We will first begin with centering our thoughts..."

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InuYasha stood outside the hut, arms crossed and deep in thought. Why did he care about Kagome having these powers? It was good, now she could fight better and protect herself. _But that's my job... _ The intrusive thought kept running through his head every time he tried to think about it. What the hell was his problem?

"She will still want you around, y'know,"

InuYasha jumped slightly, "Shit, Miroku. I must be getting bad if you can sneak up on me."

"Hardly, you're just worried she won't need you. Admit it, you like saving her." The half-demon gave a start at the words, but held his tongue. Miroku continued, "There's nothing wrong with that, but you're good for more than just wielding the Tetseiga and snatching her out of harms way. I'm sure you mean more to her than just a body guard with a big sword."

"Shut up, monk. You don't know what the hell you're talking about." The words were meant to be harsh, but InuYasha's tone barely convinced himself, much less his friend.

Laying a hand on his friends shoulder, Miroku decided to ignore InuYasha's request. "Go talk to her, I'm sure they're done training now."

InuYasha pushed away from the wall he had been leaning on and started to walk toward the forest, heading in the direction of the God tree. "I'm goin' for a walk." He stated. Just before he entered the forest, he turned on one heel, "And I'm NOT going looking for her, so screw off about it." Turning back, InuYasha continued into the forest.

As Miroku watched him leave, Sango poked her head out of the door of the hut. "He seemed really upset by what Kaede said..."

"Yup"

"He's going to talk to her, then"

"Well you know InuYasha. You know and I know he's gone looking for her, but you'd have to beat him within an inch of his life for him to even consider admitting it."

Down the path, InuYasha was pensive. If he happened to run into Kagome, then fine. But he was heading wherever his feet would take him. And he just couldn't understand why the hell Kagome's power was bothering him. Miroku was full of shit. He and Kagome were a team. She found and held the shards; he bet the bad guys and... protected her. _Damn it.  
_

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Kagome stretched as she walked through the woods. It was getting dark by the time she and Kaede had finished. After changing into regular clothes, she had asked the elder to tell the others she had gone for walk to relax. As always, Kaede was happy to oblige.

Kagome considered her teacher's words as she walked. _So... I could use my power for defense too? That would be good, I wouldn't be left helpless without my bow and arrows if InuYasha needed me... _ Kagome shivered slightly as a chilled breeze blew. Briskly rubbing her arms, Kagome wondered how much winter clothes she had brought this time. It was already late fall. She was wearing a black ribbed turtleneck, it was fitted, but warm. The dark green skirt that came just above her knees was flexible enough for her to move freely but also made of a warm material. _Snow's gonna fall soon_ she thought,_ I'm going to have to pack the rest of my winter clothes to bring back with me the when I go home tomorrow.  
_

Suddenly noticing she wasn't surrounded by trees, Kagome looked up. She was standing in front of the God tree. She smiled. This happened every time she went for a walk. No matter which direction she had pointed herself in, she always ended up here. Stepping up to the face of the giant tree, she laid a hand on the single bare spot where the bark had not grown. Here was where she first met the violent half-demon. He had been so angry, in so much pain. _InuYasha..._ his name whispered in her mind. Things had changed since then, almost three years was a long time. She sighed and dropped her hand back to her side. Stepping down she sat on one of the raised branches, and gazed at the stars. She was eighteen now, but she was still unable to actually tell him. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Kagome was saddened. _It always comes down to Kikyou. I can't trust myself to risk that much when I can never tell if he's over her. I'll only get my heart broken._ Kagome inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled. _I can't do this forever._

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InuYasha continued walking through the woods and only looked up when he approached the clearing. In front of him was the God tree. This was happening more often then not whenever he walked. He ended up here. Two thoughts crossed his mind. _This is where I was killed... by Kikyou. _As always, the memory created a look that marred the face of the hanyou. The second thought was fast coming and quickly smoothed his features again. _It's where I met Kagome and she freed me...  
_

Heading towards the tree, he walked around to face the spot where he had been pinned for so long. He stopped upon seeing Kagome, her back to him. She was star-gazing. Quietly, he walked behind her and sat next to her. Kagome started.

"InuYasha! Hi. What are you doing out here?" she looked at him wondering.

"Wanted to go for a walk. You?" InuYasha's voice was quiet, Kagome knew there was something bothering him. It wasn't easy for him to express himself, but slowly through the past two years, he had opened up to her on occasion.

"Hm, yeah, me too. Training is hard; I find this a good way to relax after." Kagome paused. "InuYasha, is there something wrong?"

"Nothing... do you like training?"

"Yeah! I mean, it's hard sometimes, but it's good to know I can do things to help. Kaede mentioned defenses today, but I'm only working on barriers right now." Nervously, she brushed her hair back, "I'm having a little trouble though, I was supposed to place a block in front of my face while she tossed pebbles. I was only able to block one. Hmph."

"So, I guess you'll be able to take care of yourself then pretty soon." InuYasha's words seemed tinged with something that sounded like... disappointment.

Kagome was confused. "Well, no, not really. I mean, if I can master the defenses then I can fight back with something other than a bow and arrow... mostly right now it's healing and purification I've got down... but..."

"So you won't be needing me around to protect you then." InuYasha had been looking at the ground, but looked quickly at Kagome.

There was no mistaking InuYasha's tone, or the guarded look in his eyes. He was definatly unhappy. Understanding finally opened to Kagome. InuYasha thought she wouldn't need him or want him around. He only saw himself as the brawn. Taking his hand in her own and drawing just a little closer, Kagome spoke softly, but with meaning.

"InuYasha, these new powers won't change anything," Swiftly she hugged him to her, laying her head on his shoulder. With a voice just above a whisper, she finished "I will always need you with me."

Taken aback, InuYasha didn't move for a second, then wrapped his arms around Kagome, one hand in her hair. This felt right. She felt right. Feelings he thought were long dead were stirring. Why couldn't he just say it? He knew that Kagome would never abandon him, but still...

_Damnit, I'm doing it again _ Kagome released from the embrace.

"So...ah, I'm going to be heading home tomorrow for a day or two. Y'know, visit with Sota, pack up some winter clothes to bring back. Stuff."

"Um yeah, I figured you were planning on going again soon. Don't forget we have jewels to find, so don't stay so damn long this time."

Immediately, both embarrassed by their actions, the two lapsed back to more comfortable conversation.

Kagome stood. "Well, we should be getting back to the hut, it's getting late, and I'm beat."

"Yeah, c'mon" InuYasha was ahead of her already. Watching his back as she followed, she wondered if there would ever be a time when she could actually tell him how she felt. If only she knew the thoughts of the man in front of her were not unlike her own.

A/N: All right, hope you enjoyed chapter two. Comments and Constructive criticism are always appreciated. Next update will probably be on Wednesday with Chapter 3, The Nightmare, The Decision. Thanks for reading! (and thanks to Jenny for being my first reviewer!)


	3. The Nightmare, The Decision

InuYasha was at Kagome's well. She had left the morning before and already he was wondering when she would be coming back. Part of him knew that even though she was out of school, she still had to return home to her family, but he always felt that she should make the trips as short as possible... she was supposed to be here. Deep down, he worried that one day she might not come back. Glancing to her bike that leaned against the side of the well, he thought _Well I wish she would get rid of that damn thing, its a pain haulin it around. _ A breeze brought the scent of his other friends. Turning, he faced Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, who was sitting on Kilala.

"She's coming back tomorrow, InuYasha, you don't need to guard the well." Miroku commented.

"Who's guardin it? I thought she was coming back today, that's all.", came the defensive reply.

"Sure, and I'm a flea." Shippo called. InuYasha glared at the younger demon, then managed his sweetest smile. As he approached, Shippo watched distrustfully, but before he could escape, InuYasha's fist came crashing down on his head.

"MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS!" Stalking off, he threw a look over his shoulder at the two humans consoling Shippo, "And that's goes for you two as well!"

Sango watched InuYasha as he retreated into the forest. "He's a lot more aggressive than usual. Even with Kagome gone."

Shippo cried, "Why does that jerk have to take it out on me if he misses her!"

Miroku attempted to sooth the small fox demon, "Don't worry, he does miss Kagome, but I think he also has a lot more on his mind, just try not to set him off until Kagome comes back."

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During this, InuYasha was still walking through the forest, again, lost in his thoughts. _Damnnit, why can't she just stay here._ Kagome leaving was bothering him more than usual. Could it be from what she had said the other night? The scene played in his mind _"I'll always need you with me"..._ InuYasha shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? Kagome didn't care about him like that. Couldn't. She was his friend, but the lines were drawn. He was the protector, she was the keeper of the jewel. Simple. Except it wasn't. As much as he refused to acknowledge it, in his heart there was something there. InuYasha pushed it aside. He had already learned too well what could happen if you cared too much. Raising his hand to the place on his chest where there was no visible scar, he sighed. As he stopped and looked around, he realized he had done it again. He had walked to the God tree. _Always here... _Despite his pining over Kagome, InuYasha was also getting a sense of foreboding, but he couldn't tell what it was from. All he knew was that when Kagome returned, they would have to get a move on. The jewel was almost complete, and things were getting more dangerous. Climbing up and perching on a branch in the God tree, InuYasha looked at the well he had come to associate only with her.

_Kagome, hurry up and come home.  
_

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Kagome yawned. It was early evening and she had spent most of the day shopping with her mother and after that had packed a new medicine kit as well as the remainder of her winter clothes in her backpack. As a last minute thought, she packed a warm blanket as well. Although only 2 days before she and Sango had been swimming in bikinis, it had been a freak day of warmth. It was late fall and there would be no further days of swimming in the lake until spring. Her mother had thought the blanket was a good idea, stating that you never knew what could happen. There was an unspoken understanding between the young woman and her family that there may be a day when she didn't return from the Feudal Era, and so, there were few arguments. Recently, Kagome had moved from her bedroom in the large home, to the guest house, closer to the well, making it easier for her to leave if necessary. At the moment, she sitting on her couch in a baggy pale blue sweatshirt and black stretch pants and was staring blankly at the T.V. as some movie was playing. Something was unsettling her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Sighing, she rose and went to the small kitchen. As she entered, the stove was to the right. She placed the kettle on the burner and turned on the stove. Sitting at the three person table not two feet away, she rifled through the latest batch of college applications. She was out of high school and should have been thinking of what college or university she should attend, but all she could think about was how it would affect her trips to the Feudal Era. Her mother and grandfather were still supporting her, although she also worked at the small temple gift shop. She knew she would have to make a decision soon, but it could wait for another while. The kettle whistled and Kagome rose again to make herself a cup of tea. Turning off the burner, she returned to the couch to relax and watch the ongoing movie. I Maybe I'll fall asleep early, then I'll be rested. /I Curling up on the far end of the couch, Kagome looked at the other end and, for a moment, in her mind's eye saw InuYasha sitting there, fascinated with the picture on the screen. Smiling to herself as the image faded, Kagome grabbed an overstuffed pillow that was lying on the floor and hugged it. Turning back to the movie she thought.

_I wonder if he misses me_

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InuYasha could feel something tickle his nose. He opened his eyes to a leaf from an overhanging branch dangling in his face. Brushing it away, he wondered how long he had been asleep. It was dark now. He had decided to stay in the tree, even when Miroku came by to tell him the rest of the group was going to return to the village, and that was late afternoon. Judging by the stars, it was well past late evening, everyone would be asleep. _Just as well... _he thought, _Wasn't really in the mood to do a lot of talkin anyway._ Shifting into a crouching position, he sniffed. There was something strange in the air. He didn't know what it was, but it didn't smell good. He jumped from the branch he was sitting on and started to follow the scent. _Whatever it is, I gotta make sure it stays away from the village._

As the scent became stronger, InuYasha was led further and further away from the village. The owner of the scent had a master that was watching as InuYasha fell into the trap.

_Keep going, InuYasha. Soon, no one will be close enough to help you._

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"What the hell? This smell gets stronger, but there's no source!" InuYasha muttered. The scent had led him to a valley a fair distance from the village. There was plenty of trees and foliage for someone to hide behind, but the forest itself was not dense, with more than a few small clearings, one of which he was standing in. Suddenly, InuYasha sensed the prey he had been stalking. Unsheathing the Tetseiga, he took a battle stance. "All right you asshole! I'm tired of chasin' you around! Why don't you come out and fight me already!"

A sinister chuckle rippled through the leaves. InuYasha could sense, rather than see, a body run swiftly between the trees and over branches. A voice came, "You want to fight me half-breed? I was told that you would be a great adversary and that you had the Jewel that is almost complete. I only sense dirty human blood running through your veins, and you do not carry the Jewel. I think I might be disappointed in a battle with you."

InuYasha's features flashed anger, then he smirked. "If you think it would be so easy to defeat me, then why don't you show yourself?"

"Why not, it might be good for a laugh." A figure dropped down in front of InuYasha, about 25 feet away. The male demon was dressed in long black pants and a brown leather vest. A quiver full of arrows and a bow was slung over one shoulder, while two short blades hung at his waist. Strapped to each thigh was a sheathed long dagger, while smaller ones were tucked into each high boot.

"Carrying an awful lot of weaponry to take out a pitiful creature like myself aren't ya?" InuYasha charged forward, bearing his weight down on the lunge. He planned to take this creep out in one blow, but before the sword could strike its mark, InuYasha found he had planted it deep into the tree that was behind where the demon had been just moments before. Yanking his blade free, InuYasha spun to face his opponent. _Damn! He's fast_

The demon laughed from his new position, where InuYasha had previously been standing.

"You think it will be that easy? You should at least know who's going to end your life. My name is Nioaku, the Hunter. I plan to kill you as easily as a deer." Just as the last words were spoken, InuYasha saw a blur as the demon flew towards him. Pain exploded as Nioaku delivered a swift spin kick to his jaw. Stumbling backwards, he tasted blood in his mouth. He spat and felt his head clear. _Damn. How can I strike him if I can't see him?_ InuYasha was casting a wary look about, trying to spot the Hunter before he could land another blow. Hearing a whistle to his left, InuYasha jumped high as a small dagger planted itself in the tree, where his head had just been. Landing a few feet away, he had barely gotten ground when Nioaku rammed his fist deep into the other's stomach, just below the ribs. Falling to the ground, InuYasha couldn't breath. The pain was immense.

Using the Tetseiga to support him, he stood again. Nioaku was standing in front of him again. Catching his breath again, he braced his legs and raised the sword.

"We're hardly done here. C'mon Nioaku, it takes more than a few cheap shots to take me out."

Nioaku sneered. "Oh don't worry, I'm hardly done with you." Removing one of the daggers that were strapped to his thighs, he lunged forward. This time, InuYasha blocked his strike. "Ooh, the mutt is learning...". he smiled. "But not quite fast enough"

Grabbing the other dagger, he slashed InuYasha across the belly. InuYasha dropped Tetseiga with the unexpected blow.

"Fuck this is not good." He rasped. Making a quick right cross, Nioaku struck the half-demon in the face, splitting open his cheek and putting InuYasha in a daze.

"Oh, c'mon. This is wonderful. I expected you to be more challenging, but hell, it's still fun beating the shit outta you."

Now kneeling in his own blood, InuYasha attempted to brace himself and fight back as more of Nioaku's impossibly fast blows rained down on him.

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Kagome had fallen asleep on the couch, it was very late. She was mumbling in her sleep and her head twisted slowly from side to side. Her brows knit together as her dream continued...

_She was standing in an unfamiliar forest, she automatically knew she was in the Feudal Era, but the trees weren't close together like they were nearer to Kaede's village. Walking forward, she saw two people ahead. Quickening her pace, she approached the small clearing and saw InuYasha on his knees, the front of his shirt covered in blood. Close to him was another person. 'No, not a person, a demon.' Kagome thought. She gasped as the demon picked up InuYasha by the front his haori and drove him into a nearby tree. Running from the protection of the trees, she tried to pick up a rock to hurl at InuYasha's attacker. She stopped as her hand went through the stone. 'Wh- what's going on?' Helpless to do anything but watch, she saw the demon wait until InuYasha was standing again, then take one of the short swords hanging from his waist and plunge it through InuYasha's shoulder. Blood poured as InuYasha grunted from the blow, holding in his cry of pain. 'InuYasha!' Kagome screamed, 'INU-'  
_

"-YASHA!" Kagome bolted upright and wide awake, her scream continuing from her dream. She was shaking. She knew what she had seen was not a dream. InuYasha was in trouble. He might even die! Flying from the couch she grabbed the closest article of clothing to replace her sweatshirt. The baggy shirt was no good for running through trees. Her hand rested on the black sweater she was wearing a few days previous. Her bag had been packed the day before and was laying next to the door. Grabbing that, and the bow and arrows she now carried with her to and from the Feudal era, she ran out the door.

Hauling off the sweatshirt and pulling on the black sweater, Kagome ran to the well. Slinging both bag, bow and arrows over her shoulder, she vaulted herself into the well and through to InuYasha's time.

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In the Feudal era, the bag popped out of the well and came to rest on the ground, next to Kagome's dark green bike, the bow and arrows soon following after. Moments later, Kagome pulled herself out of the well, and grabbed the fallen items, again throwing them over her shoulder. Without thinking she picked up her bike and hopped on. She started to pedal, then realized she didn't know where to go. Panicking for a second, she stopped and tried to remember something Kaede had taught her. Each person had an aura; Kagome had learned her friend's auras. Shippo's was green, like young grass. Miroku's was dark blue and silver. Sango's, pink and white. Inuyasha's... his was red and gold. Concentrating on InuYasha, Kagome closed her eyes to center her powers. Opening them again she looked around, trying to find any hint of the half-demon. There, in the distance, was a faint red and gold light. She starting pedaling as fast as she could, flying through the trees. That was where she would find InuYasha.

"Resilient little fucker aren't you?" Nioaku snarled. He still had InuYasha pinned to the tree and had proceeded to simply use him as a punching bag. InuYasha was still conscious, and blocked what blows he could, but his strength was weakening. He was in trouble, and if he couldn't get a strike at the Hunter, the trouble would get a lot worse. Nioaku roughly yanked his blade from the tree and InuYasha's shoulder. InuYasha hadn't realized how weakened he had become. Unable to stand, he sank to a sitting position, bracing his back against the tree. He was panting to catch his breath. There was blood everywhere, his blood. It flowed freely from the wound in his left shoulder. Raising his head, he saw Nioaku standing in front of him, the distance between them too far for InuYasha to strike the demon with Tetseiga, but close enough for Nioaku to carry out his intentions. Notching an arrow in the bow he held at ready, he drew back his arm and let the projectile fly. It found it's mark with a sickening _thuck! _ on the right side of InuYasha's chest. InuYasha gasped and loosed a roar of pain. It burned! Grasping the shaft of the arrow, he tried to pull it out, but the head was barbed, causing even more pain. His blood, his body felt like it was on fire. It was excruciating. He winced as he tried to suppress it.

Nioaku gave a deep laugh. "Hurts, doesn't it? The head of the arrow is poisoned, it will spread through your body, by way of the blood I have left you with, break down your internal systems, and eventually kill you." Making ready with another arrow, Nioaku took aim and pulled back his arm again. InuYasha could only watch. He couldn't move his legs. _DAMNIT!_ his mind cried. Nioaku let the arrow fly and smiled as it sunk with another _thuck!_ in between InuYasha's lower ribs. Grunting, InuYasha noted that this one didn't burn as much as the first, but it still hurt like hell, and worse. His vision was getting blurred. "Shit."

He heard another arrow being notched, and closed his eyes as he waited for it to find it's place somewhere in his body. Everything was in so much pain. He could barely move. He heard the whistle of an arrow cut through the air, and a I thock/I as it landed. This one brought no pain at all. Opening his eyes, he still saw only two arrows protruding from his body. Once again raising his head, he looked at Nioaku, and was confused. Nioaku had dropped his bow and arrow.

Quivering ever so slightly, barely a hairsbreadth away from the other demon's nose was an arrow, its whole head buried in the tree he was standing next to.

From the edge of the trees, the two heard a low, deadly-toned voice and the notching of another arrow.

"That was a warning shot, this one is aimed at your temple."

Following the voice, Nioaku shifted his eyes to the right. There was a girl there, hair unbound and flowing in the wind, dressed all in black. Her own bow was drawn taut with the arrow she had aimed at him. He could see that she was charging it with power as it started to pulse with blue light. He smirked; this would be the one with the priestess powers, the one his master would take care of later.

"Ka- Kagome...?" InuYasha rasped. His vision was blurred, but he could make out the figure standing ahead of him. It hurt to breath. "Kagome... run..."

"Like hell I will." Focusing on Nioaku again, she poured more of her powers into the arrow. "I told you this will sink into you head, I suggest you leave."

"As you said, 'Like hell'" Jumping up Nioaku made to attack Kagome with his short sword, but unconsciously, the powers of the young mortal had allowed her to home in on his every move. Before the demon could raise the sword he held, Kagome released her arrow, now encased in blazing blue energy. The arrow blasted through the right side of Nioaku's chest. Shock registered on his face as his body began to dissipate. Before finally dying, his features contorted into a hideous look of hate. "You little bitch! You'll be so..." The remainder of his saying was left on the wind as the rest of his body turned to dust.

Kagome felt dizzy for a moment. She had never used that much of her powers before and it was draining. Shaking off the dizziness, she ran to InuYasha's side. Dropping her bow and arrows, she cradled him to her, brushing away his hair and wiping blood from his face.

"InuYasha... "She had heard what Nioaku had said about the poison. Looking up, she knew she was too far away from the village to get help, and worse, she didn't even know where she was, she hadn't been paying attention. Tears started to well in her eyes. InuYasha was going to die.

Angrily brushing her tears away, she refused to give up, there had to be something she could do. Remember her training with Kaede, she recalled pulling poison from a cat that had ingested it by accident. I InuYasha's a lot bigger than a cat, but it's the only option /i . Laying out the now unconscious demon on his back, Kagome knelt beside him, placing one hand above his heart, the other on his belly. Closing her eyes, she focused on InuYasha's body and searched for the poison, marking it in her mind as black. After a moment, she gasped. It had coursed throughout his body. Determined, she placed both hands over the wound in his chest, and started to pull out the poison. A small blue light grew from between her hands and InuYasha's chest. Water began to spill out as Kagome purified the poison. A few minutes later, Kagome stopped, panting her heart beating heavily and quickly due to the effort of pulling out and purifying the poison. She had pulled out as much as she could. There was now a large pool of water she was kneeling in. InuYasha was still out.

A chill gust of wind suddenly blew through. Kagome sensed a demon, but could see no one. "Who's there?" She reached for her weapons. A disembodied voice drifted with the breeze.

"I see you, young priestess. I see you very well. You cannot see me." The voice paused, Kagome tensed. "I see you've attempted to heal the half-breed." At the mention of InuYasha, she placed a hand on his chest. "You will not kill him" she said in the same deadly serious tone she had used with Nioaku. The voice laughed.

"I have no intent to kill him. Not yet. No, I am more interested in you. Actually, I wanted to let you know something. At this moment, I am sealing your portal to your world. " The owner of the voice sent an image to Kagome's mind where the well was being covered with vines that were quickly hardening to stone.

"You have a choice, priestess. You can leave, and be safe. Or you can stay, and eventually die by my hands. It is your choice, and I leave that to you." As quickly as it had come, the voice left and with it, the sense of demon. Kagome stared wide-eyed at where she had dropped her bike upon entering the clearing. If she didn't leave now, she would never see her family again. Looking at InuYasha, she knew if she left, he could die in his current state, and she would never see him again even if he lived. Just then, InuYasha shifted, the obvious pain showing on his face, and his hand reached up and clasped hers. Kagome made her choice then and there.

"I will stay with you InuYasha. I need you, I will not leave you." she whispered. Glancing again towards the direction of the well, her resolve strengthened.

_I love you..._

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A/N: So, I decided to post Chapter 3 as well. Hope you liked it! Please R&R thanks!_  
_


	4. Roles Reversed

After laying InuYasha on the makeshift bed of grass and straw, his pillow being one of her sweaters, Kagome sat back, slightly out of breath. For everything he was, InuYasha certainly wasn't light. She reflected on the events after Nioaku had died. The thought of not going back home had yet to register, and so she had focused on the most pressing manner. Safety. After assessing her situation, she had tried to find Miroku's or Sango's aura, but she couldn't. She was confused. She had been able to see InuYasha's aura from the well, why couldn't she see her other friends? Had she traveled that far away on her bike? Cold began to seep into her skin as she considered this. Kagome hadn't realized how cold it was with the adrenaline rush she had experienced, and now, with the night wind picking up, it was colder than ever. She had to find shelter, or else no matter how much poison she pulled from InuYasha, he wouldn't make it if fever set in.

Shivering, she looked around. She hadn't done this before by herself, but she'd be damned if she couldn't. Leaving the still sleeping half-demon, she eventually found a small river, which was good as she would need fresh water to cleanse InuYasha's wounds. Using another trick she had discovered about her powers she opened her hand palms up in front of her and concentrated. Feeling warmth in her palm, she saw the small blue orb of fire she had created. She smiled and quickly made a makeshift torch with a small fallen branch and some slow burning grasses. Her luck continued when she found an abandoned bear den. The den had been dug into a hill near the river, its entrance way almost completely grown over with roots and vines, making her crouch in order to get in. Upon entering, she found it only cluttered with dried leaves, which she save in a corner to start a fire. The area inside wasn't very big. Kagome had just enough room to stand with the roof sloping slightly as it reached the ends of it's perimeters, and it was about twice her height in length, but only about three quarters of that in width in the center. Towards the two ends, it narrowed out slightly. To determine its length, she lay down and was able to stretch her arms over her head, with just a few inches left to spare. Judging quickly, Kagome determined it would be perfect to hide herself and InuYasha from any of Nioaku's friends, as well as protect them from the elements until he was well enough to get them back to the village. She wasted no time returning to InuYasha's side.

Upon reaching him, she had realized another dilemma. How was she going to get him to the den? He was out cold! There was nothing she could carry him with, and she didn't trust her powers enough to try and lift him as she did the stick she had practiced with. Faced with no other option, she gabbed up her bag, bow, and arrows and swiftly deposited them in the den, and planted the torch in the ground, to the side of the den. Returning again to InuYasha, she pulled him upright and slung his arm over her neck, while wrapping her right arm to the left side of his waist. This way, she half carried, half dragged him to the den. After getting him inside, she left again to get what she needed to make something of a bed for him to rest on so he could heal. She left once more to grab the torch and bring it inside. Now here she was. InuYasha was still unconscious, and she was exhausted, with still so much left to do. Despite everything that had occurred, it still wasn't yet midnight. She needed to get healing herbs, which she had seen as she had looked for shelter, and water. She hadn't been able to get all the poison, quite a bit had been absorbed by his body. What was left wouldn't kill him immediately, but she would need every ounce of her healing powers and knowledge of medicine, as well as InuYasha's own immune system and regenerative powers if he was going to live through it.

InuYasha was breathing steadily, and so Kagome decided it was safe to leave for a moment. Taking the torch and exiting the den, Kagome started looking for the healing herbs she had seen. Kneeling to pick them, she finally considered the choice she had just made._ I can't go back home_. The thought registered with some shock. She would never see her family again. _Mom... Grandpa... Sota..._ The enormity of what she had done struck her. She had wanted to be with InuYasha and everyone, but never had she thought there would be a time when she couldn't see her own flesh and blood. Crossing over between the worlds had become as normal to her as breathing. She had left everything she had known for a man she loved... but that she didn't know if he felt the same way. Sorrow filled her heart for the family she would never see again. _I didn't even leave a note. I didn't say goodbye..._ A tear slipped down her cheek, pooled at her chin and dropped into the frosted grass. _Frost? That means it will snow sooner than I had thought._ Sniffing and wiping away the wet trail on her cheek with the back of her hand she stood again. She had been moving around, automatically picking the necessary herbs as she had thought about her family in the future. Glancing around, she confirmed she had picked almost every plant available in the area, more than enough to do for at least a month, if not more. She wasn't sure how much she'd need to heal the damage the poison had done to InuYasha's body. As her mind wandered once again to the half demon, her fluttering heart calmed. This had been her choice; no amount of tears could change it. Her family knew she loved them, and she would always miss them, but InuYasha needed her now. Pushing away her sadness, she took a deep breath and headed to the river. Water was needed to cleanse InuYasha's wounds, as well as make the healing poultice.

Upon entering the den again, Kagome laid the herbs to one side and the water that she had collected in a fair-sized jug to another. She now had the task of removing InuYasha haori. Trying to judge what would be the best way to unclothe a man who was out cold, Kagome figured the only way was for her to support his weight while he leaned up. Straddling him, knees planted on either side of his thighs, Kagome pulled InuYasha by the front of his haori to a sitting position. She leaned back a little so he would fall forward slightly and be supported by her. Quickly, she fumbled with the ties of the robe and kimono he wore, InuYasha's cheek resting on her collar bone.

She could feel the flush rising in her cheeks. _Dear Lord, please don't let him wake up with me like this._ No sooner had the thought entered her head, than she heard InuYasha moan. She froze.

Blinking, with eyes still unfocused from the poison, he raised his head slightly. Kagome wrapped her arms around him to keep him from falling back. His shirt lay against his chest, half open and exposing the smooth skin of his chest that was unmarred by the arrows wounds. Kagome stared wide-eyed with embarrassment.

"Ka...gome..?" InuYasha voice was soft. The look on his faced was dazed.

Kagome bit her bottom lip. InuYasha was still affected by the poison; she could feel the heat from his skin as the remaining toxin in his system worked on his body, causing a fever. Pressing one cool hand to his face she looked into his eyes.

"InuYasha, you're very badly injured. You have to be still while I take care of your wounds, and rest so you can heal. Okay?" She spoke softly but she wasn't sure if he understood. His eyes were unfocused, and nothing registered in his facial expression. His head fell forward as he slipped back into oblivion.

Working much more quickly now, Kagome stripped off his haori and kimono and lay him back down. She was still working by light of the torch, and so took a moment to set a small fire with the small branches she had collected earlier and the dried leaves she had found. It gave enough light to work by and would heat the den easily, but not to the point of discomfort. Putting out the torch, she turned to get a better view of InuYasha's wounds. She sucked her breath in between her teeth. The venom had slowed his own healing abilities considerably. A purple and black bruise was forming just below his ribs. The gash from Nioaku's dagger on his belly should have been half healed by now. It had stopped bleeding but was still an angry red wound. The marks from the arrows were the worst, both seeping some blood still, but also fiery red around the edges. Looking closer, she could also see small trace lines of black, where the poison was setting in. The wound made from Nioaku's short sword was also traced with black, and looked as though it might be infected. As it was closer to the arrow punctures than any of the others, it seemed have also absorbed some poison.

She grabbed the water she had left heating by the fire, then fished through the large book bag for her medicine kit. Retrieving it, she returned to InuYasha's side. Gently wiping away the blood that covered his torso, Kagome made a mental list of things that would be needed. A poultice would be needed to pack on the injuries, and there was plenty of cool water. She had the foresight to pack small meats to bring with her as a treat, now going to be used to make a broth for both her and InuYasha until she could find something else. She started to stitch the slash on InuYasha's stomach. I Glad he's not awake for this /I . His skin was hot to the touch. The fever would be hard to fight as she didn't know how long it could last. I InuYasha is strong. /I She reassured herself. All she had to do was start small and work up to larger doses of medicine until there were results.

After finishing the stitches, Kagome made the poultice and applied it wherever she saw InuYasha's flesh laid open. When she had finally finished, she sat back and observed her work. He was still breathing steadily, but the heat she had felt was warning of troubles to come. It was still chilly, despite the fire she had started, and so Kagome brought out the blanket she had packed. Upon bringing it to light, she was flooded with memories of her family. Her mother had made this blanket, fleece on the underside, soft wool on top. Again her eyes started to well. It still smelled like home. Pausing a moment longer, Kagome turned and covered InuYasha with warm, comforting fabric. After making sure he was comfortable and warm, she considered making something to eat with the provisions she had brought. A second later she dismissed the thought. It was late and she also needed rest. Not wanting to disturb InuYasha, she braced her back against the wall, in front of the entrance. Laying her bow and arrows to her right, with InuYasha on her left, she closed her eyes for an uneasy rest. Should anything come through the entrance, she would wake and kill it.

Kagome's eyes opened as dawn crept in. She felt a little cold and noticed that the fire had gone out, only gray ashes remaining. Crawling over to InuYasha, she checked the fever. His skin still burned, but his breathing was deep. Turning back to the small fire pit, she gathered some dried leaves and sticks, and quickly conjured a small blue flame. Each time she used her powers, the task was easier. Returning to InuYasha's side, she checked on his wounds. Although they hadn't healed, the herbs she had used seemed to be fighting the infection on his shoulder, and the gash on his stomach didn't look to be getting worse. The injuries from the arrow still worried her though. The black lines of the poison hadn't gotten larger, but they hadn't gotten any smaller either. Kneeling beside him, Kagome placed a hand over each wound. Her brows furrowed as she concentrated to pull out more of the toxin. It was harder to find. Finally, trickles of water started to spill from the punctures. A few minutes passed, and Kagome had to stop. She hadn't been able to get the rest of it; the poison had gone deep into the tissue. After dressing InuYasha's wounds once again, she took up her bow and arrows and passed through the exit. What she saw once she was outside was both a blessing and a curse.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Kagome stared unbelievingly at the world before her. It had snowed overnight. Now she had to keep the snow out, and even if Miroku and Sango were looking for them, they'd never find them, not without any tracks. On the other hand, because the snow covered any tracks, as well as their scent, it would mean they would be safe from anyone who would want to take advantage of InuYasha's current state.

Kagome leaned back on her heels. "He so owes me for this when he gets better."

She would have to hunt for food, the small amounts she had brought were really only good for two or three meals. Not that hunting was really a big deal, she had done it plenty of times before. The only problem was, one of the others always skinned and cleaned the animal she had taken down. No one else was there to do it for her now.

"Learning all kinds of things about yourself lately aren't you... killing demons in one blow, doin' the woodsy camping thing with guy who's dead to the world, healing deadly wounds by yourself, and now choppin up bunnies" she muttered to herself. Leaving the entrance to the den, Kagome wondered how long they would be in this situation.

Two nights later, Kagome was physically and mentally exhausted. She had tried several times to see the aura's of her friends, but to no avail. InuYasha's fever had raged for the first day after the snow, then lessened, but did not show any sign of leaving. It still snowed lightly covering whatever tracks Kagome made. Meanwhile, InuYasha had been drifting in and out of consciousness, although he had not been coherent long enough to know where he was. When he was sleeping, his dreams seemed to be haunted. He would make distressing sounds, and twist or jerk as if avoiding something. During these episodes, Kagome knelt beside him, comforting the sleeping man until he calmed again. Still, Kagome took his wakings as a good sign. For the past two mornings, she had continued to pull poison from his body, then binding him again with the healing herbs. The wounds were healing well, with the cut on his stomach looking no worse than a scar. The others had lost the black trace lines around them, as well as the raw redness, but the fever continued. Between the extensive use of her powers and caring for InuYasha, she was completely drained. Dark had yet to fall completely. She desperately needed rest. Taking a quick note of all provisions and again confirming that InuYasha was still o.k., Kagome took up her now regular position across from the entrance. Laying her bow and arrow in her lap, she closed her eyes._ A few hours ... that's all_

Two hours later, InuYasha threw off the blanket covering him _Too damn warm..._ Rolling onto his right side, he tried to clear his foggy mind. His eyesight still registered things as fuzzy and he still felt weak. Leaning up on one arm, he tried to make sense of the figure before him. Kagome. Sitting up asleep?_ Why...? _ He was confused, but so tired. Dark edges started to creep into his vision as sleep overtook him again. _Stupid... weak... body..._ Without the covering of the blanket, InuYasha fell asleep again.

Kagome wakened later in the night. It was cold again. To the left, she saw the fire had died down to mere embers._ Damnit._ She was still tired, as her worry for InuYasha prevented her from getting any truly restful sleep. At the thought of him, Kagome looked further to the left. Noting that he had thrown the blanket, she crept over to pull it back on him. When her hand touched his skin, she was shocked. Instead of being warm, it was icy. He was shivering so hard his teeth chattered! The blanket had been keeping him protected from the cold, and now that he was exposed, chill had set in. Wrapping the blanket around him, she tried to warm his skin, but to no avail. She grabbed the medicine kit she carried and skimmed through a handbook that she always kept packed. She worried he might have hypothermia. Finding the correct page, she tried to find the best way to warm him. Her breath stopped.

"In dire situations, the best method for warmth is skin to skin contact". That meant her skin to his. _Not really the time to be worrying about this..._ Kagome gasped slightly as the cold air struck her bare skin as she pulled off her sweater. Leaving her black bra and stretch pants on, she slid in next to InuYasha, facing his chest. Scooching closer, she stopped once her skin just touched his. _Probably doesn't have to be that close._ Still, there was a curling tightness in the pit of her stomach, a small thrill running through her that made her want to giggle nervously. She hadn't been this close to InuYasha before. Much less with this much near-skin-to-skin contact. Despite the time they had spent together, the most physical contact they had made had been a hug, or when he carried her on his back.

_For Kami's sake, girl, get a grip!_ Kagome scowled as she rebuked herself. What the hell did she think she was doing? InuYasha needed her help. And it wasn't as if she hadn't seen or touched his body before. She eyed the chest that rose and fell right next to her, then resolutely scooted a couple of inches away. Smiling tensely to herself, she nodded. _There, that's better._ Letting out a small breath, Kagome started to relax.

The relaxation didn't last long. Sensing the heat, InuYasha reached out and swiflty clasped Kagome to him, one arm firmly around her waist, the other snaking behind her neck, holding her in a close embrace. Kagome's eyes went wide with shock. Stiffening in his hold, Kagome felt nervous discomfort for barely a heartbeat before her own skin registered another sensation. His body felt like it was starved for heat. All other thoughts left her mind in her concern for the hanyou. But she needed him to relax his grip, he was hurting her. Craning her head to his ear, she spoke softly to him until his arms loosened slightly. Even when they did, he still held Kagome close, with little to no space between them. Breathing evenly again, Kagome pulled the cover over both of them and waited for his shivers to cease. Once they did, she closed her eyes _He's out of it anyway. Can't hurt to just grab a bit of shut-eye... _ soon after, she too was deeply asleep.

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A/N: OK, so this chapter was pretty quiet, but it gives all the info needed to know for chapter 5 to make sense. please continue onwards! Thanks for taking the time to read it!


	5. Powers revealed

A/N: please read chapter 4 before this one (sometimes people skip chapters). Merona is my character. All the rest.. not mine!

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InuYasha opened his eyes. It was very early morning. He felt sore, but rested. He looked around, confused. Where was he? Why was his shirt and haori on the other side of this den? Looking down, he saw Kagome sleeping in his arms, her bare back pressed against his chest, his left arm curled around her waist, hand tucked under her right side. His eyes opened with shock. What the hell happened? Not moving, he tried to remember what had gone on. He had been injured and passed out, but before that, Kagome had killed Nioaku. After that... he wasn't sure. How long had he been out? Clips of memory of the past few days came back to him. The bits and pieces of his few conscious moments started to come back to him. Kagome talking to him, telling him she would help him get better. Kagome giving him water, food. He remembered a particular image of Kagome sitting just there, next to the fire that was now only a few embers. He concentrated harder as he tried to bring the memory into focus. She had been asleep. But why was she sitting up? She had looked so tired, small black circles under her eyes. Her bow and arrow, now lying within arms reach of the bed, had been laid across her lap. Realization dawned on InuYasha

"You were protecting me..." His words were whispered so as to not wake her. Relaxing again, laying his head back down, InuYasha hugged Kagome a little closer. His body welcomed the press of her curves against him, but his revelation in the newly intimate embrace superceded anything else. He felt... safe. When was the last time he had felt that? He didn't know. Had he ever felt safe? With anyone? Immediately, Kikyou came to mind. _No, I never even felt this with her. Why Kagome? How long have you been straining yourself to keep me alive?_ He couldn't understand. Two years ago, he had been ready to tell Kagome he couldn't see her again, he cared for her, but he had sworn himself to protect Kikyou. Instead, she acknowledged his feelings regarding Kikyou and stayed. He had assumed, over time, she had moved on. He knew that he had feelings for the girl that now lay with him, and they had grown since, but he hadn't realized how deep they truly ran. The rush of warmth in his heart was foreign to him. He trusted Kagome, felt safe with her. To not have to hold someone at a distance, for fear they would harm or betray him was... astonishing to InuYasha to say the least. The love he felt for Kagome swept over him.

_Love? _The unexpected thought flashed in his mind. Gazing down at Kagome, her head resting next to his, he nuzzled closer, inhaling the scent that he had come to adore. _Do I love her? I need her, I want her, I care for her. But love...?_He considered this for a moment. _I... think I do… _ His eyes saddened suddenly. The last time he had allowed himself to love…. there were dire consequences What about Kikyou? _I loved her… still love her._ However the feeling in InuYasha's heart was much different from that which he had felt with Kikyou. Another concern crossed his mind. _But how can I tell her... can I be sure she feels the same, after all that has happened. _As soon as the doubt crept into his mind, the memory of the other to whom he had trusted his heart started to arrived. Kikyou. InuYasha heart gave a little lurch. Kagome was her reincarnation. Even though he tried to push the hateful thought away, an image of Kagome striking him down with a Miko's arrow came unbidden to his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut. _No. _He told himself firmly, _Kagome is not Kikyou. She wouldn't turn against me..._ The uncertainty that plagued him started to subside, although he was sure it would surface again. He didn't know if he would ever be able to completely trust anyone, even Kagome.

InuYasha sighed. What about her feelings? Would she trust him? He flashed back to all the times he had gone to see Kikyou, knowing after that it had bothered Kagome. If Kagome loved him back, and she knew his feelings for her... him seeing Kikyou, no matter how innocent, would wound her deeply. InuYasha shook his head. _Don't be stupid! _he scolded himself. _Kagome cares about you the same she cares about everyone else. Besides, you're the one that pushed her away!_ Convincing himself that any possibility of Kagome still having feelings for him were slim and none, InuYasha raised his head again to view Kagome's sleeping face. _I wish things had been different._ Laying his head back down, his mind gave in to a troublesome sleep. If what he wanted was impossible, then he would have to be satisfied with these few stolen moments.

Kagome's mind surfaced from the grey world between sleeping and waking. Stretching slightly she smiled. That was the best night she had had in a very long time. Since sharing her body heat with InuYasha, he hadn't seemed to have moved or wakened at all.

The hanyou was asleep. Feeling his forehead, Kagome confirmed that the fever was gone. His wounds seemed to be almost healed. They would be able to leave and head back to the village soon. Uncurling herself from him, Kagome got up and rummaged through her bag for another sweater. Her pants were fine to wear a couple of days in a row, if necessary, but she drew the line at sweating in the same shirt day in and out. Grabbing one, she pulled it over her head. This one was blue and white in the pattern of snowflakes. It was actually one of her favorites. As always, the sweater was snug. Most of the clothing that she took to the feudal era had to be. Checking on InuYasha again, Kagome made sure that he was warm enough, then doused the remaining embers. Grabbing her bow and arrows, she left to hunt. It was already the middle of the day.

Outside, the new snow glistened. The crisp fresh air filled her lungs and made her feel incredibly alive. She loved the feudal era, everything so fresh and clean. Her thoughts sobered once again as they turned to her family. Though she shed no tears, she still felt an ache in her heart. Sighing, she reminded herself that she could only make the best of the situation now. And she still had to find a way to tell InuYasha about the well. As she walked away from the den and further into the unfamiliar forest, Kagome knew that he would be guilt ridden at her staying by him, and losing her only access to her home. Although he raised hell each and every time she left, he also knew how important it was to her. How many times as she told him that? How many times had she had to coerce him to let her leave? And now, to tell him that she couldn't see her family ever, because she stayed with him. She chose him. He wouldn't realize that it was due to the love she felt for him, of course. Kagome knew that as far as he was concerned, they were only friends, she stayed with him for protection and to find the jewels shards. Kagome sighed again. She'd figure out something. Until then… InuYasha would have to be kept in the dark.

InuYasha awoke, knowing immediately that Kagome was no longer there. Her scent permeated the blanket that he was wrapped in, and it lingered on the air in the den, but it was far from fresh. He laid his hand on the spot where she had been laying next to him. It was cold. She had been gone for awhile. The disappointment that crept up on him at not finding her next to him surprised the half demon. He shook the feeling off. _I got cold, that's all._ He didn't want to let himself feel more for Kagome, when he was sure she didn't feel the same. He stretched with some stiffness and rose. Making his way to the other side of the den for his undershirt and haori, he tried to think on how long they had been staying here. InuYasha redressed as he kicked at the deadened fire. It was hard to tell by that, Kagome had kept it going almost constantly. He must have been in hard shape to need such constant warmth. The new memory of Kagome in his arms appeared in his mind and he blushed. _That's why she was with me, I needed the warmth, and the fire had gotten too low. _ After further searching, he found the nook where Kagome had thrown old skins from her kills. It almost looked as though she had been trying to stretch them and sew them together, though not very successfully. Judging by the number of skins, InuYasha guessed they had been there a few days now.

Stepping out of the den, he sniffed to find Kagome's scent. The snow took him off guard for a moment, then he remembered how cold it had been the night of the battle with Nioaku. Glancing around, he spotted Kagome's tracks, and automatically followed their direction. _Shit, I don't even know where we are. Far from the village that's for sure..._ When he found her, they would be able to pack up and get back home. He didn't like being out here, and liked it even less that Kagome wasn't near by. He couldn't sense demon, but he had a bad feeling, not unlike the one that he had felt before Nioaku showed up. InuYasha grimaced to himself, remembering that it had been the girl who had killed Nioaku, not himself. Still, despite Kagome proving herself capable of taking a demon down on her own, Nioaku had been off guard, watching InuYasha, and not paying attention. Neither one of them had even known about Kagome's presence until the arrow had been shot into the tree. What would happen if she was taken off guard instead? InuYasha knew that she was tired, and weakened from being unaccustomed to using her powers so much, he could smell it off her. He couldn't be sure Kagome would be able to hold her own now, if anything should happen. A strong gust of wind struck across his back, blowing in the direction he was heading. His hair and clothes were whipped in front of him. InuYasha's eyes widened as he caught the scent of demon. One too similar to Nioaku's for his comfort. And it was heading for Kagome.

"Shit! Kagome! "

InuYasha ran, praying that he would reach her before the demon did.

Kagome spotted the white hare digging in the snow to find the sweet grass roots that lay beneath. Swiftly, quietly, she dropped behind a snow covered bush and gently laid her quiver of arrows to the side. Picking one and notching it into her bow, she rose slightly and took aim. The hare continued its search, but suddenly stopped. Kagome held her breath and froze. Before she could release the shot, the hare was gone, taking off into the protection of the trees. She let out a small growl of frustration.

"Don't waive your little fuzzy tail at me. Go!" she called out as the animal turned and looked at her for a moment before disappearing behind a snow bank that had developed against a tree. Coming out from her hiding place, Kagome walked out into the clearing where the hare had previously been having lunch.

"Ugh, this is getting irritating. It's already mid-afternoon and I haven't caught a damned thing. And I'm talking to myself!" She dragged one hand down her face in aggravation. When she got back, she would check on InuYasha again. From the look of his wounds, he should be able to travel tomorrow. Then they could head back to the village, and she wouldn't have to try and kill, clean, I and /I cook dinner. Stretching and rubbing the back of her neck, Kagome started to head back into the forest, hoping that there would be more prey further in. Before she reached the edge of the clearing, a brittle wind whirled around her, whipping stinging ice particles around her face and blinding her with snow. She gave a small scream of surprise.

As the winds quit, the snow and ice settled. Kagome turned to see a demon standing in the middle of the field. Not giving the demon a chance to attack, Kagome drew an arrow and made ready to let it fly.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The demon was female. Long red hair fell freely down her back, but her eyes were black, both features in sharp contrast to her pale complexion. A brown shirt, with long sleeves but cut short along her midsection didn't seem to have any armor. A skirt of a darker shade reached her ankles, but was slit up to mid thigh, and revealed two wickedly sharp daggers, one strapped to each taunt thigh. Kagome could see the handle of a sword peeking out from behind her shoulder. From experience, she knew that demons that did not carry a lot of weapons had powers of attack. The demon chuckled, but the surprisingly pleasant laughter never reached her eyes.

"I am Merona. The sister of the demon you slayed. Nioaku was far from weak. How is it that a mere human killed him?"

Kagome looked at Merona with surprise. How had she known it was her? There had been no other demon scent after Nioaku died.

"Don't look surprised, you little bitch. You scent was all over the place where Nioaku died. Grant it, you must have some power. It took me a few days to find you. I also smell the filthy mutt I've heard you keep company with. Where is he now? I'm ordered to kill him, and keep you. But I'd like to make sure I do a good job." Merona unsheathed one of her daggers and started to twirl it. She bared her teeth at Kagome in an evil smile.

"Don't think I will give you the chance to kill him. Look what happened to you brother." Kagome was surprised at her own brashness. When the hell did she start taunting demons that wanted to smear her across the landscape? She didn't know how Merona knew about InuYasha, or who was giving her orders, but she wouldn't let this she-demon attack InuYasha while he was still weak.

"You little cunt." The words came from Merona as if they dripped poison. Her black eyes flamed red and her beautiful face contorted in a snarl. With unbelievable speed she shortened the distance between her and Kagome.

Kagome loosed the arrow she had aimed at Merona's heart. The demon dodged it only seconds before it destroyed her body. The mortal's attack did not slow her. Raising her dagger as she rushed to her prey, a maniacal grin came over her face. Kagome could see her own face in the flat of the blade that was advancing at eye level. She didn't have time to get another arrow ready.

InuYasha snarled as he raced towards Merona. Kagome saw only a blur of red across her eyes. One moment, Merona had every intention of piercing the left brown orb of the mortal with her dagger. The next the wind was knocked out of her as the half breeds shoulder connected with her stomach. She was furious! She wasn't going to kill the little bitch, just maim her a little! The master had said nothing about having her intact... just alive. But the filthy little animal had stopped her. Merona roared with rage.

"Get off me!" she slashed downward at InuYasha's arm. He pushed himself away before the blade could do any more that slice against his haori. He returned to Kagome's side without taking his eyes off of Merona.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes. She's Merona, she's Nioaku's sister."

"Keh, I thought the stench was familiar"

Merona glared at InuYasha. "I wouldn't be one to talk about stench you disgusting little half breed. Look at you. The get of some worthless human and a sentimental, weak demon. The least you could do was try to get another demon, but no," she smirked, "you follow your idiotic father's footsteps. Another pathetic human. Creating only more filthy trash like yourself!"

Merona unsheathed the sword that she had strapped to her back. The blade was broad and menacing, one side serrated, the other so sharp it could split hairs. Lunging at InuYasha, she made to take him in one sweep. Blocking her attack with Tetseiga, InuYasha returned her attempt with backslash of his own. As they parried, Kagome attempted to aim at Merona with one of her Miko's arrows. She found herself unable to attack; the risk of hitting InuYasha was too great.

The clash of swords rang. InuYasha could feel himself getting weaker, though no blood had been shed. Even worse, Merona could sense it. The look in her eyes was fanatical as she thrust ever forward. He could see her muttering to herself calmly as she put full force behind her attacks, pushing him further and further back.

"Repulsive little hanyou, vile human. Kill them, orders. He wants him dead, he'll die. The bitch, kill the bitch, make it an accident. A slow one. Kill the mutt. Destroy the girl." Although the majority of what she was saying was subdued, the last three words were grinded out with a growl.

_She's fuckin crazy_ InuYasha felt a small thrill of fear run through him. At this point, the female demon was too far into the abyss of her own mind to sense it. He could fight pissed demons. Even ones like Sesshoumarou, who was cold and calculating. Insane demons were a threat to all. They would fight until they died, and if they didn't, the ones they killed would be lucky if it was done quickly. _I have to make sure she doesn't get Kagome. She's not so concerned with me, but Kagome..._ InuYasha couldn't finish the thought, instead blocking another attack. Finally seeing an opening, he raised his claws to Merona's face.

"Sankontessou!" The attack did not affect the crazed demon as much as what he had hoped, but she backed off quickly. Seizing the opportunity, InuYasha raised Tetseiga.

"Kaze no Kizu!" A steam of power flew in Merona's direction. The wind, the snow rose and swept itself against InuYasha. Kagome ran to his side, certain that Merona had been destroyed. InuYasha held her behind him. The scent of the other demon was still there. _What the fuck...!_

As the wind died, Merona rose into the air. Her hair was wild, flowing away from her body with the demonic aura pouring from her. There were deep gashes on her face, limbs and torso, her clothes clung to her in tatters, her weapons were no where to be seen. Kagome gasped when she saw her face. The youkai was insane. Her eyes were now completely red, her face registered delirious, yet horrifying, joy. Her laughter resounded like a screech.

"Is that it? That's what you were going to kill me with? You pathetic little pissant! Try to be grateful that I will scatter you from here to eternity!" Now forgetting about Kagome, Merona charged toward InuYasha. Her speed not only equaled her brothers, it was far superior. Ducking his slash with the Tetseiga, she crashed her elbow into his newly healed jaw. Her smile was frightening as she heard the bone crack. Soaring back up above her two victims, she observed their reactions. InuYasha had been drove back against an outcropping rock with the blow. He was stunned, but could feel the wound beginning to heal, and it hurt like a bitch. Kagome rushed to him, and kneeling beside him reached for an arrow. Her hand paused when she realized there was no quiver on her back. Her arrows! Frantically looking around, she saw them on the other side of the clearing, where she had been when Merona first attacked. There wasn't enough time to grab them now.

The fire-haired demon giggled uncontrollably.

"Silly little girl" she crooned. "If you couldn't strike me the first time..." Her features darkened, her tone became menacing, "what the hell makes you think you could do it now?"

Merona charged again for the third and final time. Kagome panicked. InuYasha prepared to brace against the oncoming youkai with Tetseiga, but Kagome knew it wasn't going to be enough. The demonic aura radiating from Merona was suffocating. Reflecting swiftly, Kagome attempted a barrier. There was a haze but it failed.

"Try it again."

Kagome looked at InuYasha, shocked.

"Wh-what?"

"You can do this! Now, try it AGAIN!" InuYasha grabbed her hand and held it firmly. Merona was closing in quickly. Kagome stood and turned toward the nearing demon, strengthened. Clasping InuYasha's hand, she opened the other in front of her, palm facing out in a stop signal. Closing her eyes, she focused her power, deep in her soul. She felt it center and let it flow. Opening her eyes, she saw the sheer blue barrier hold. Was it strong enough?

Merona struck it head on. Instead of repelling back, she was trying to push through! InuYasha watched in horror as the insane youkai cackled. The smell of burnt flesh pushed its way into his nose.

"YOU CANNOT KILL ME! THIS IS NOTHING!" She screamed.

Kagome's eyes widened, then squeezed shut. _More! I need more..._ As she dug deeper within herself, the flow of her power flooded her. Her heart raced and she felt the energy crashing inside her. She dropped to her knees as pain started to fill her body. InuYasha touched her shoulder; he could see a blue hazy outline covering her. He spoke her name, but she could hear nothing, the rushing in her ears too great. _Oh God... I'm dying... I'm not strong enough... _ The pressure within her built, and she let out a whimper of pain. She couldn't do it, the energy was too much. _I have to hold on, I can do this!_ her mind cried. Gripping InuYasha's hand tighter, she bore down on the pain. Throwing back her head, she gritted her teeth.

It stopped. The rush. The pain. The pressure. It all stopped. All Kagome felt was the strength, the awesome strength of the power now flowing within her, no longer trying to get out, but part of her body.

InuYasha watched with amazement. Kagome's face had become perfectly calm. The blue outline was still there, but stronger now. When she opened her eyes, they were essentially the same color as before, only now there seemed to be a pale, striking blue tinge to the whites of her eyes, and her normally brown irises seemed lighter.

Facing Merona's glare, Kagome rose, her hair rippling although there was no wind. Her hand still held InuYasha's, though not with the urgency it had only moments ago. Her other hand still faced towards the demon.

"Stupid bitch! Meditations won't help you, nor magic. I WILL KILL YOU BOTH!" Merona's screams were frantic as she continued to try and claw her way through the barrier. Both arms were burnt black, her once beautiful hair now almost completely scorched away. Kagome's eyes remained steady.

"No."

A pulse of blue light imparted from Kagome's extended hand, widening as it advanced outward, encompassing both her and InuYasha in a half circle of safety. It soon reached Merona.

The female youkai's screams of anguish pierced the air. Stuck in the barrier, she was unable to escape. Slowly, her body burned and turned to ash. Her words were indistinguishable from her cries.

The light dissipated after Merona was no more. The barrier faded. Still holding his hand, Kagome turned to the hanyou now standing next to her. InuYasha looked at her uncertainly, not quite sure what had happened. She smiled gently, warmly at him.

"InuYasha..."

Suddenly, Kagome's eyes rolled back into her head and her body went limp. InuYasha caught her just before she struck the ground. Sweeping one arm under her legs, he cradled her to his body and started to walk her back to the den. What had just happened? Was that Kagome's full power? Somehow, he didn't think so. It had felt... unfinished to him. He looked down at the unconscious woman her carried. She hadn't trained for that kind of use yet, he knew that much. His brow furrowed with worry.

_Kagome..._

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A/N: OK, so I posted these 2 chapters in the one day cause chapter 4 is kinda quiet. Mostly something to lay the groundwork for this chapter and to boost Kagome's character. Hope you liked it! Please review. Comments and criticisms welcomed and aprreciated. Thanks for keeping up so far! TTFN._  
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	6. Returning

InuYasha watched Kagome. After returning to the den, he had laid her on the bed she had made for him. She had been out cold since the clearing. He wasn't overly concerned. It seemed she was over-exhausted, not hurt, and so he didn't bother her while she slept. Instead, he started packing up. They would leave and return to the village when she woke.

"What the hell happened back there? Kagome's never had those kinds of powers before." InuYasha mused while he worked. He remembered Kagome telling him about training for barriers with Kaede, but she hadn't perfected them yet. And why had her eyes changed? That wasn't normal for a human... not that he knew of. InuYasha's thoughts were interrupted as he heard a groan from the corner.

"Where are we? What happened?" Kagome sat up pressed a hand to her forehead. "Ugh, my head. Did I use your incantation while you were standing over me or something? It feels like my head was crushed."

"I would think you have a headache. You blasted Merona straight to hell. Don't you remember?"

Kagome stared at him, then at her hands. She remembered. Sort of. Merona was coming through the barrier. She was trying to get more power and the pain was overwhelming. Then it stopped. After that, everything was... fuzzy. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear it. When she opened them again, InuYasha held a container of water in front of her.

"Here." Kagome took the glass and drank deeply. He was being so... nice. When was InuYasha nice? Sure, he had been concerned and had become a bit more gentle towards her during the years, but normally if she complained and wasn't seriously hurt, he told her to get over it. What changed?

"Can you get up? I was getting things packed up, but we'll leave when you're ready."

She eyed him suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

InuYasha tensed.

"Nothing! Jeez, you bitch and complain that I'm not nice enough, but when I try to be nice you bitch and complain more. Feh! Women." He turned his back to her. Kagome relaxed. This InuYasha she could deal with. Feeling her hand on his shoulder, InuYasha turned his head toward her again. Kagome smiled the same smile she did at the clearing.

"Thank you."

InuYasha's angry countenance was wiped away. Grabbing her hand he pulled her up with him as he stood. Kagome's head swam and she started to fall, InuYasha caught her by the elbow and held her close. Resting her head against he collar bone, Kagome paused. He was hugging her? Without thinking, Kagome hugged him back. What was wrong?

InuYasha held on. Kagome was changing. He could sense it. She still smelled the same, acted the same, sure. But... there was something different, and he couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

"Uh, InuYasha?"

Breaking the embrace, InuYasha turned from her, but not before she could see the faint blush on his cheeks. Blushing? Kagome mentally sighed _One of these days, I'm actually going to understand that boy...  
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Clearing his throat, InuYasha tossed her bag to her.

"If you're ok, we should head back to the village."

"Actually, I think it's too late. I mean, it was late afternoon when Merona showed up. How long has it been since...then?" Kagome halted, seeing InuYasha stiffen only slightly as she mentioned the incident. What had happened? She still wasn't sure, but she worried. Evidently, she had done something to unsettle InuYasha. _If he hasn't told me, he's not sure himself._ Resolving to ask Kaede about it when they returned, Kagome spoke up again.

"Maybe we could just stay here for the night and leave tomorrow. I... I'm still kinda tired."

She was surprised when InuYasha answered quickly. "OK. We'll rest here."

Kagome sat down in front of the fire. Surprise took her again, when InuYasha looked at her intently, asking,

"What else can you do with your powers aside from barriers and healing? Did Kaede train you much in defenses?"

"Ah,.. well no, we hadn't gotten that far, but I will ask to train harder when we return. But, there's not much else I can do." Taken aback at the question, Kagome focused on the pebbles at her feet. Should she tell InuYasha about her other abilities? He might freak out. Then again he mightn't.

"You're lying. I can tell when you do; you don't look at me when you lie."

Kagome snapped her head up, angry. "I did not lie!"

"Then you're not telling me everything."

At this accusation, Kagome dropped her head again. He was right; she couldn't lie worth a damn when it came to him. InuYasha dropped next to her, crossing his legs. Together they stared at the cold dead fire in front of them.

"After all this time, do you still not trust me? You know I would never hurt you with the information." InuYasha's voice carried a tone of hurt that struck Kagome's heart with guilt. She looked up at him, only to meet his expecting eyes. She took a deep breath. She could deny him nothing.

"It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that... this power," Kagome raised her hand, looking at the palm, "it scares me sometimes. The other things I've discovered are just tricks really, but ... InuYasha, I'm only human. Human's don't do this."

InuYasha's clawed hand slipped into hers and held it. He knew she was afraid. And she didn't remember what had happened. It was like when he turned youkai. Only he knew that he was capable of killing.

"It's ok. Your power is good. You control it."

Kagome sighed. Releasing his hand, she pointed to the medium sized logs well out of arms reach on the other side of the den.

"It's nothing big, but I'm getting stronger. Watch those logs."

Focusing her power into the beam of light she imagined, Kagome centered on five of the logs. Under her gaze, they lifted and smoothly glided to the fire pit, then dropped in neatly. Holding her right hand over the logs, palm down, Kagome bit her lip, conjuring was slightly harder than levitating. A blue light appeared under her hand. The logs immediately caught fire with a gentle but not too small flame. The newly created fire burned blue for a few seconds, reflecting onto the hanyou's and the mortal's faces, before turning to its normal shades.

"See? It's nothing really. They're only small tricks." Kagome smiled nervously, then twirled her finger in the air. "Woo hoo! I can get stuff without getting up, and I'm a human match."

InuYasha didn't answer for a moment. The act had been only small, but still... Kaede had been right. Kagome was strong. These went beyond an ordinary Miko's powers. Kikyou had been the strongest priestess he had ever known, or heard of and she couldn't do this. He didn't sense the same power from her that he had just now.

"Have you told Kaede yet?"

"No. I wanted to, but... "

"You should tell her. She'll help you get stronger, and gain better control." At Kagome's stunned look, InuYasha answered her unspoken question. "Kagome, these powers are not evil. Stop being such as wuss."

Kagome shifted, not used to InuYasha being so understanding. She needed something to break the tension. Grabbing her sweater that she had taken off earlier this morning, she whacked the unsuspecting InuYasha in the face with it.

"I am not a wuss! I think I've proven that more than once!"

InuYasha grabbed the sweater from her and held it at arms length, crinkling his nose. "Gods, have we been here that long? What did you do, wear this for a week without washing it? UGH!"

"You jerk! I take care of you, hunt for you, you bleed all over the place and you tell me my stuff smells? Of course it does!"

InuYasha tossed it to the far side of the den with disgust. He watched her hand as he reached to hold it again. He loved holding her hand. He couldn't stop himself.

"Thank you. For being understanding, InuYasha"

Looking up at her, he saw she was watching him, her eyes wide and uncertain. He thought he saw something else there, but couldn't tell if it was because he wanted to see it, or if it was real. He also saw the fear she had of herself still lingering. The urge to hold her, kiss her and tell her it would be ok, that he would protect her like always rushed through him. He moved in, his body crying out for him to press his lips to hers. He risked a glance into her eyes and saw something that excited and unsettled him. A return of his feelings perhaps? He didn't want to risk it. He settled for holding her. Pulling her to him again, he wrapped one arm around her upper body; the other hand rested in what it had become its regular place, her hair. She was tense, the muscles under her shirt tight. It wasn't until she wrapped her own arms around his waist that they relaxed slightly.

Kagome rested her head on his shoulder. She hadn't been afraid of her powers before, but now... something had made InuYasha edgy about it. And the fact that she had blacked out during the episode scared her more. What's happening to me?

InuYasha pulled away again. It was late, they needed to leave tomorrow. Then they could talk to Kaede about the occurrence in the clearing.

"We should get some sleep. You take the bed. I'm fine now, and you really need it more than I do anyway."

"Ok." Kagome nodded and left her spot at the fire. Lying down, she pulled the blanket to her shoulders and turned so her back was facing InuYasha. Her heart twinged. InuYasha actions showed more tenderness than she had ever seen from him. And still, her mind questioned it, always telling her no matter how gentle the hanyou was to her, it was Kikyou that held his heart. A small tear slipped unseen down her face as she closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

InuYasha watched her until her chest rose and fell in the gentle rhythm of sleep. Two figures warred in his mind. Kagome's... and Kikyou's. His chest felt empty, his mind troubled. Kikyou had killed him, Kagome saved him. Kikyou hated him, but once had loved him. Kagome... he didn't know. She was always in his thoughts, but he could not bring himself to face his feelings for her. He was afraid. Afraid she wouldn't feel the same. Or if she did, that he would have to risk everything again. He closed his eyes, his face showing his weariness.

_Damnit._

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Kagome wondered again how she would tell InuYasha about the well. She didn't regret her choice, but how would he feel? She knew it wouldn't be good. Despite his constant brashness, she knew InuYasha would take the loss of her seeing her family as his fault. She didn't want to cause him worry or guilt. On their final morning at the den, Kagome was cooking breakfast over their small fire. InuYasha was packing the bookbag. As both finished their tasks, they sat and ate.

"What are we going to tell the others?" This was something they had been discussing, but had yet to come to a conclusion for.

"I dunno," came the half demon's gruff reply. Since they had started to pack up to leave, he had started to fall into his normal pattern of behavior. Kagome was fine with this, it was just his way. InuYasha grinned evilly. "We can always tell them that you thought there was a jewel shard and went after it by yourself and I saved you before some demon blew you to little bits."

"Or we can tell them you got angry about something and got attacked along the way. It's a bit more believable." came her curt reply. Reaching over to tug on his ear playfully, she smirked.

"And I don't need to be rescued all the time by puppy dogs, thank you!"

"Puppy? We'll see..." Rushing to her, InuYasha grabbed Kagome, still in the clothes from the night before, and carried her over his shoulder outside. Before she had the chance to 'sit' him, he found a fluffy snow drift and tossed her in. Kagome screamed and came up sputtering.

"You jerk! I could catch pneumonia! I..! You...! AARRGGHH!" Standing with her arms wrapped around her, she glared at InuYasha. He scooped her up again and brought her back inside.

"Puppies are very mischievous," InuYasha's voice was full of mirth, "besides, you and your whole body is too stubborn to get sick." Wrapping his haori around her, InuYasha briskly rubbed Kagome's body until she was warm and her skin was pinkish.

"Glad to hear you think you know my body so well." Kagome was clearly annoyed, but was no longer angry

"It's more like common knowledge."

"Oh shut up." InuYasha left so Kagome could change. She called over her shoulder as she pulled on a pair of jeans. "Could you at least go to the stream and get some fresh water? I'd like some tea so I can warm up from your snow dunk." InuYasha chuckled. _I love his laugh, he should do it more often.  
_

InuYasha left and headed to the stream, jug in hand. Kagome pulled a long sleeve pale pink pullover on, then a thick black padded vest. Poking her head out of the den entrance, she saw InuYasha was just bending over the bank of the river. She smiled to herself. _Perfect..._

"Oh, InuYasha?" she called.

"What?" came his reply, still not looking at her. If he had, he would have seen the gleam in her eyes.

"SIT BOY!"

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Kagome watched the stiff back of the still grumpy hanyou ahead of her. He hadn't taken his dunking too well. It didn't make it any better that she still giggled every now and then at the image of InuYasha standing knee deep in the river, soaked from head to toe.

"C'mon InuYasha! It was a joke, you threw me in a friggin snow bank! Lighten up!"

"Feh! It was cold. It was wet. And it took me a godsdamn hour to dry off!"

Kagome tried to suppress a giggle. "I said I was sorry!"

InuYasha snorted air through his nose. "Yeah, and you look like your just brimming with sympathy!"

Since he wasn't going to walk with her anytime soon, Kagome turned her thoughts to more pressing manners. They were getting closed to the village. And the well. It troubled her that she was still unable to tell him. _How can I tell him? He'll feel so guilty..._ Finding no solution for her dilemma, Kagome mentally shook herself. She would find a way... eventually. Until then, she could only think about it.

A face framed by silvery white hair appeared before hers, stopping her in her tracks. InuYasha looked at her uncertainly.

"What's wrong? Why are you so quiet? You look like your thinking about something."

Kagome gave him a small smile and slight shake of her head. "Mm, it's nothing... I was just thinking about how to explain what happened to Kaede. You'll probably need to be there to... fill in on some of the details

Now walking alongside her, InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, I'll let her know. Will you tell the others? About your powers. With more demons around, it might be better to keep it under wraps until you get a better handle on it."

"No, I have to tell them too, maybe not right away. I will talk to Kaede first. "

The village was coming into view. Kagome was thankful that they had avoided the well so far.

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Sango paced the floor. Miroku had gone to search for Kagome and InuYasha again, Shippo was with Kaede. The kitsune was fretting terribly over Kagome, and so the elder tried to take his mind off things by teaching him about some healing herbs, which he had become interested in lately. Sango was preparing to leave, but Kirara was curled up in a corner and refused to move!

All of them were worried about their two friends. Shippo and Sango had gone to Kagome's well to be there as soon as she arrived, only to find it had been sealed. At first they thought that Kagome had been trapped on the other side, and had run to find Miroku and Kaede. Upon returning with the others, they found Kagome's bike was gone, and Kaede confirmed that Kagome had been there recently, traces of her pale blue and white aura still present. Kaede tried to see either of the missing two's auras, but there was nothing. It had been a week, and there was still no sign. They had searched far, only to have the search stopped by the oncoming snowstorm. Today Miroku was searching the far side of the forest surrounding the village. (A/N: opposite of the well and where kag/inu are) All of them had sensed demon. The only consolation was that there was no blood in the immediate vicinity. _Please... just come back alive._

Miroku arrived at the hut and peeked in.

"Nothing, no demon aura, no blood. Nothing."

Sango's eyes brimmed with tears. She couldn't lose her friends. Anger, her faithful emotion, welled inside her.

"We have to find them!"

Kirara rose from the corner she had been curled up in and sniffed the air. Excitedly, she ran out the door and headed for the God Tree.

"Kirara! Kirara! Wait!" Sango chased after the animal demon. Quickly, she called over her shoulder.

"Get Kaede and Shippo! She must smell them!"

Miroku sprinted off to get the other two, while Sango remained hot on the heels of cat demon.

Upon reaching the God Tree, Kirara stopped, and of all things, started to wag her tail back and forth. Sango stopped as she noticed why Kirara had been so eager to run.

"KAGOME! INUYASHA!" Overcome with relief and pure joy at seeing them safe, Sango dropped her weapon and flung into Kagome. She hugged her tightly, Kagome hugging back just as fiercely.

"What happened? Where were you? We went to the well and saw it -" Sango cut herself short as she saw the panic in Kagome's eyes. _She doesn't want me to say...?_ Knowing there was something up, Sango corrected herself as InuYasha turned to find out why she stopped.

"..Uhh, your bike was gone, and Shippo smelled a demon ..." At that moment, Miroku arrived, with Kaede and Shippo following. Sango strode towards him and stayed by his side. While her back was turned to InuYasha, she tried to send signals to the three that Kagome did not want the well mentioned. Kaede and Shippo picked up on it. Miroku, unfortunately, did not.

"Kagome! Are you all right? What happened? We tried to find you at the well but - " The palm of Sango's hand graced Miroku's face with a resounding CRACK. All thoughts of the well swept from Miroku's mind. He whirled and faced her, for once, actually angry.

"Pardon me, but WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" He raised both hands. "See these? Look! Nowhere near you or your ass!"

Dropping his hands, he glared. Worry over Kagome and InuYasha had made him tense. Plus, being slapped when he didn't even do anything was completely different from when he deserved it. At least then the warmth of her cheek was still in his palm.

Sango looked at him coolly then at her hand. "You were considering it. I just thought it would be better to make sure you didn't at such a time as this." She stated.

"I...wasn't! You...never! How could you..!" Miroku sighed and raised a hand to his face. By now, Shippo had jumped to his shoulder and discreetly mentioned about the well. Women were a pain in the ass, no matter how good-looking. He scowled.

"Come, let us return to the village" Kaede finally spoke. "Ye can tell us what happened on the way."

Shippo blissfully lead the way and informed Kagome of what she had missed. Kaede watched the young girl. Something had happened. Kagome's aura looked different, more intense. And there was something between her and the hanyou. The two of them were unusually quiet. Kaede kept silent. They would tell her later.

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From a distant castle, someone leaned over a stand. Atop it sat a wide bowl, filled with water. Through the pool, the creature watched the group. Focusing on the young girl with miko powers, the onlooking face grew pensive. _Merona was unstable before her brother died. After she found out he had been killed by a mortal girl, she had become completely unhinged. She was a strong demon. She shouldn't have been that easy to kill. I wonder what else this girl is capable of. Mayhap I will test her again in time. _ A perverted smile eased its way onto the face, the malevolent eyes slitted. _Maybe..._

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A/N: Ok, sorry, another kinda quiet chapter there, but it's because it was originally part of a really big chapter that included chapter 7, so they got split up into 2 for easier reading. Soooo... on to chapter 7! ----->_  
_


	7. Hearts at the Clearing

Kagome sat in the sand clearing, waiting for Kaede to arrive. Smoothing the white haori in front of her, she bit her lip. The past two days had been hectic. Between explaining to the others why she didn't want to tell InuYasha about the well yet, then making it look like she had gone home to visit for a few hours, the group had been busy. Miroku kept InuYasha away from the well, and when Kagome 'returned' she told him that for the next couple of months, she would be staying in the feudal era. She hated deceiving him, but she just couldn't tell him that the well was sealed. She and Kaede were going to try to break through, but she needed more training.

And there was the fact that she hadn't told Kaede yet about what had happened at the clearing. She felt so shady. Kagome took a deep breath. She would tell the elder tonight.

Kaede watched Kagome from the shadows. The girl was deep in thought again, and she still hadn't sensed her presence. Kaede hoped this would end soon. InuYasha was edgy, and she had never known Kagome to lie, not to anyone, much less to the hanyou. Stepping out from the trees, she crossed the circle and sat down across from Kagome.

"Are ye ready my child?

Kagome brought her head up and faced Kaede. "Yes, but Kaede, I have to tell you something. About the well. About the demons that attacked me and InuYasha."

Kaede nodded. "I was wondering when ye would say something. Ye know ye can trust me, yes? Speak freely child."

Swallowing, Kagome looked down and started to tell the story, beginning with Nioaku. Upon reaching the part about the voice, she paused and looked back up at old woman.

"This is a demon that seeks to scare ye Kagome. It sounds as though he's trying to test ye. Do ye think that he is the master that Nioaku and Merona were referring to?"

Kagome dipped her head. "Yes."

Kaede pressed her fingers to her chin. "Hmm. We will step up training until we can find out more about this demon... is there something else Kagome? Ye look as though there is more ye have to say."

Again, Kagome dipped her head toward the wise woman in front of her.

"But, I have to have InuYasha with me," At Kaede's confused look, she continued, "There were some things I ... missed."

Kaede bobbed her head. "Then fetch him child, this is important."

Kagome rose and left the circle at Kaede's words. Looking over her shoulder briefly, she saw the lady deep in thought. She rushed along the path to the hut where the others were waiting.

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Kagome's breath was shortened slightly when she approached the hut. Poking her head in, she looked at Sango, Miroku and Shippo.

"Where's InuYasha? I need to speak with him for a moment."

"I'm right here, what's up?" InuYasha leapt off the top of the hut, onto the ground next to Kagome.

"Can you come with me for a sec? Uh, Kaede needs to talk to you." The three inside the hut gave the two outside quizzical looks.

"Sure."

Turning back to the group, Kagome smiled. Sango looked a little hurt. She and Kagome always spoke about everything, and lately, her friend had been closed off. Kagome tried to give her a meaningful look, hoping it conveyed her message that she would tell her soon.

"We'll be right back!"

Quickly the two headed back the clearing.

"Something is up. Why are they being so secretive? And why does Kagome not want InuYasha to know about the well?" Shippo was confused. Everything seemed so weird lately. Both Kagome and InuYasha were distracted, and while he didn't mind that from the hanyou, he missed Kagome playing with him. Sango promised things would be ok, but Shippo wasn't so sure.

"Something must have happened after the attack. I'm sure Kagome will tell us in her own time, we shouldn't press her." Miroku was also concerned, but he trusted that things would become clear soon.

A short time later, three figures sat together in a sand circle. On one side, there was the girl dressed in white, and the boy in red. On the other, the old woman in a white haori and red pants. InuYasha had just finished explaining what had happened to Kagome before she killed Merona. Kagome's face was pale.

"I changed? I - .. I sent an energy blast towards her?" Kagome stared first at InuYasha who had yet to face her since telling the story, then whipped her head to Kaede, shock on her face. The elder never spoke, but her features portrayed deep thought.

"Kaede, what happened to me?"

Kaede raised her eyes to Kagome's. She hadn't expected the young woman to tap into this much of her power until much later. Yet from what the hanyou had told her, Kagome had accessed a fair deal of her raw strength.

"Kagome, do ye remember anything of this?

"Only trying to get more power to stop Merona. And the pain." Kagome clutched a hand to her heart. "After, that... I felt really... peaceful. Then I woke up."

"Kaede?" InuYasha spoke, when she turned her eyes to him, he continued the question that had been burning in his mind for so long.

"Kagome killed Merona with her powers... like purification?" At Kaede's nod, he went on,

"Why wasn't I killed?" He looked down, avoiding the stunned and injured look he knew Kagome wore.

Holding her hands in her lap, the girl stared at her fingertips. That's why he had barely been looking at her. She could have killed him. She hadn't thought of that before. Her chest hitched as she considered what could have happened.

"InuYasha, Kagome would never kill ye, the display of her powers was due to the danger that both of ye were in. By clasping her hand, ye kept her grounded. But she included ye in her protection." Kaede paused.

"Kagome, I have told ye multiple times that ye have the ability to be a very powerful priestess. I had thought that it take longer for the full potential of ye're capabilities to surface, but it seems things have changed. The energy inside ye overwhelmed ye. Ye have not trained to use it properly, yet ye searched to use it anyway. This is why ye cannot remember. The energy overwhelmed the mind. What InuYasha saw was only a touch of what you are fully capable of."

Kagome stood, facing Kaede. Turmoil collided in her mind at what her teacher was suggesting "This... this is impossible. Yeah, sure, I can charge a bow, I can purify. But... what exactly are we talking about Kaede? I don't understand."

Aged eyes met her own. "Is there anything else ye can do that ye have not yet told me?"

Kagome looked down. "Yes. I can... levitate things and...uh... ignite flames."

"Mmm, I had thought so..." Kaede became pensive. "Kagome, these abilities ye have will continue to grow as you use them. I know ye are afraid, but with training, ye can control them and become quite powerful. Without it, ye may be overcome again, or they may get out of your control."

Sitting back down, the girl whispered, "I will train, Kaede. I will gain control."

Throughout this, InuYasha had remained silent. He wondered how he had managed to keep Kagome grounded. _Is it like when I turn youkai and she's with me...?_

Kaede watched the two, sitting so close, yet their minds so far away. She had suspected much, but now she knew. _It is time... _

"InuYasha, Kagome. There is yet more ye both need to hear."

Both looked at her waiting for her to continue. Kaede closed her eyes, choosing her words carefully.

"Thy powers are immense, Kagome, as are the ones ye posses InuYasha. Ye are two sides of the same coin. Thy souls depend on the other. It is the reason ye keep InuYasha within himself when he turns youkai, and the reason that ye were able to keep Kagome's force from killing her." At their sharp looks, Kaede dipped her head, "Yes, it could have killed her." Taking another breath, she continued.

"What ye feel for each other is obvious to everyone, but thee. Thy souls reach for each other, yet ye deny them. Ye need each other. Ye must come to a conclusion to what is between ye."

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Two figures, one in white, the other in red, walked together through a forest lit only by stars. Shortly after their discourse with the aged priestess, they had taken their leave. Neither had yet spoken.

Kagome's thoughts were jumbled. From the demon she and Kaede had discussed, to the powers her sensei said that she had and nearly killed her. Her flitting mind finally rested on the last part of the conversation. _'Thy souls depend on each other...' _ Kagome worried her bottom lip. _I don't understand, how are our powers... dependant on each others?_

_'Thy souls reach for each other, yet ye deny them...'_

InuYasha was also deep in thought, rolling the old woman's words through his mind. Part of it was obviously directed towards his and Kagome's feelings for each other. _But what the hell does that have to do with our abilities?_

Both stopped as they entered a clearing. Two sets of eyes fell upon the great tree where they had first met. Wordlessly, Kagome took InuYasha's hand and walked with him to base of the tree. Stopping within an arms reach of trunk, she turned and faced him.

"InuYasha," "Kagome,"

Both spoke at the same time. Blushing, they looked down at their hands, her clasped in his. Gently rubbing a clawed thumb over her knuckles, InuYasha started.

"What Kaede said, about your powers,.. I can't pretend that I know what it all means. But I did understand some of it."

"InuYasha, what is between us? I will stay by your side regardless, you know that. But she was right. We need to ... stop dodging it."

He ran his hands up her arms, then wrapped his own around her, holding her in a loose embrace. One hand wrapped around to grasp her side, the other rested on her hair. Kagome's automatically brought one up to rest on his chest, her hand holding the collar of his haori, the other hand rested on his back in between his shoulder blades. She rested her forehead on his shoulder. It should have been easy, and yet it wasn't.

"Kagome... I ..." he wanted to say this right, "I care about you, I have for a long time... I need you with me, always. But I fear for you. I can't ask you to risk your life to stay with me."

"You know I will stay, InuYasha, if you ask. I will accept any risk." Her hands tightened their grip. "But InuYasha, I can't do this... whatever it is we do, forever. I will stay in the feudal era, and collect the jewel shards. But I need a reason to stay with you, not just the group." _Please...  
_

He knew what she was asking, and it terrified him. His mind was plagued with doubt, his heart with fear. But he couldn't deny it any longer. Couldn't ask her to overlook it any longer.

His head dipped, bangs covering his eyes. Holding her tighter, he whispered,

"Kagome... I love you."

Her eyes glistened. Her heart lifted. He loved her. She felt his muscles tense, then he pulled back to face her. The look he held was one of uncertainty, and something like fear. He waited. Her smile was gentle.

"I love you too, InuYasha." His eyes held the uncertainty for a moment longer, as if afraid she would take it back. Her own bright eyes assured him she never would.

Cupping her face with one hand, he slowly brought his lips to hers and kissed her gently. He would protect her from anything, and everything. He only wanted to feel the way he felt with her. He would do anything, go anywhere, as long as she was with him. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer. She was happy. Unbelievably happy. Nothing could ruin this moment. She would follow wherever he led.

Slowly, they broke the kiss that either would have stayed in forever, if given the chance. A moment later, they separated from their embrace. They started to walk back to the village her hand held in his. Through the starlit forest, listening to the gentle sounds of the night, their steps slowed, trying to extend the moment as long as possible, aware of only each other.

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A/N: Yeah, this chapter is shorter than the others, but I thought it was a good place to stop. I suggest listening to Evanescence's "Anywhere" while reading the last section with Kagome and Inu. It's a beautiful song and I feel this is what emotions they would be feeling. btw, with regards to the citrus question from Heavens Lil Cherry, I have a number of chapters written, but I haven't put in any lemons. I don't think I have the talent for good citrus writing, but there's lots of fluff. Loooooove the fluff! ;P. Anyway, please read and review, your input is important! Thanks for taking the time to read the story! (oh, and sorry for the cheesy chapter title, best I could think of)


	8. Her Final Test

summary

Kagome still hasn't told InuYasha about the "Master", but said master's interest in her may force her hand.

The Taireny are my creation, please don't steal them. their name is pronounced tair-EN-ee

please R&R

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The demon watched as the half breed and the human walked together. He seethed with subdued fury. His interest with the girl had increased dramatically. He did not want the half breed around her! She was beautiful and powerful. With the right training, she might be good enough for himself, if not to stand by his side, then perhaps she could provide some amusement. But not if that disgusting mutt soiled her. He would have to separate them, and then... He smiled to himself. Time would tell.

He still wanted to see what else she was capable of before he went further. He put it in the back of his mind to find the weakness between them. It might become useful.

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Three weeks later, things were peaceful in the village. There had been no more attacks from unknown demons, and Kagome had continued her training. Her powers, once acknowledged , had grown by leaps and bounds. Kaede was impressed.

In the meantime, the relationship between Kagome and InuYasha continued to blossom. Frequently they took walks together, after the evening's training. Stopping at the God tree, or by a slow moving river, they would sometimes sit and talk. Sometimes Kagome would relax herself against the half demon's chest, and then they would just listen to music of the night, reveling in each other's company. The only tension between them seemed to be of a sensual nature, neither sure of how to deal with it. While they reveled in the sometimes not-too-chaste kisses, both the hanyou and the girl were not yet bold enough, or confident enough, to push further.

Kagome couldn't remember a time when she had been so happy, so content. It was obvious to the rest that the couple had moved past their self made restraints. InuYasha was rarely sarcastic, and even if he was, it held none of the cutting edge that it used to. He smiled more. Most of his time was spent around Kagome, listening to her, watching her. He no longer had the urgency to find the jewel shards, willing to wait until the snow melted. In honesty, he wanted to spend as much time as could with Kagome, not wanting to ever lose the feeling he had when he was with her.

Sango had already approached Kagome regarding the change in their behavior to each other. Opening up, Kagome expressed her elated feelings to her friend. Despite sharing her friends happiness, Sango soon brought her back to earth with the mention of the demons Nioaku, Merona, and the voice that the other girl had told her about, as well as the still sealed well.

"Kagome, you will have to tell him. What's more, you also haven't told him about the voice and the other demon's master. I know nothing has happened yet, but it will, and it will be dangerous. InuYasha already fears for your life, Kagome. He wants to protect you."

"I know that Sango. But how can I tell him? He'll hate himself for being the reason I lost my way back and forth to the future, no matter how much I love him. And with this 'demon master', Kaede is soon teaching me major defenses. Once I have those mastered, I will tell him. That way, he won't worry so much about protecting me, when I can defend myself."

As much as Sango had tried to reason with her before, it never did any good. Sighing, she let the conversation drop. All that could be done was to wait and see.

One night, at their normal training grounds, Kaede stood next to the kneeling Kagome. At her word, Kagome rose and faced her, slightly puzzled. Normally, Kaede would sit across from her, and they would begin with meditation. What were they doing tonight?

"Come, child. Ye have trained enough for this. It is time to see if ye have gained control of your capabilities."

Following the old woman, Kagome fretted the edge of her haori. She worried that she may not have enough control for what Kaede expected her. Her levitation skills had increased considerably, as well as creating fires. She could now heal with a touch, and removing poison had become much easier. Even the barriers came naturally to her now. Recently, they had begun training her defenses. Her miko's arrows were always strong, but that was the most basic form of her attacks. Starting small she had begun to learn to create small orbs of energy. First throwing these at a mark on a tree, Kaede had waited until Kagome could control the size of the orb, then moved to larger tasks. Learning quickly, Kagome was now able to throw these energy blasts at random targets. The largest orb she had created easily took down a large tree. By controlling the force she put within it, Kagome turned it into kindling instead of simply burning it down or blowing it up as she had on numerous other occasions.

"Kagome, " Kaede's voice shook the girl out of her musings, "We will test your skills here."

Gazing past Kaede's shoulder, Kagome saw they were in a small valley, not far from the village. The sides were steep and rocky. The valley was closed off at the far end, and sufficiently secluded. Walking out of the protection of the forest, they were completely exposed to the night sky.

"Kaede, I'm not sure I understand... how am I supposed to train out here?"

"Ye will destroy projectiles, girl. Miroku is here to help." A grin played across the old ones lips. Miroku came out from behind a boulder twice his height and size. Holding the hand that carried the wind tunnel. He waited for Kaede's word. She had approached him earlier with the request, and while he was nervous to see Kagome's powers, as she had shown no one aside from InuYasha and Kaede, he was also quite "keyed up" as his futuristic friend would say. Kagome walked to a point quite a distance behind the monk. He was to raise the boulder with the wind tunnel and pull it towards them, then close his hand and move out of the way. Kagome had to destroy the rock on her own.

"Are ye ready?" Kaede called to the raven haired girl. Staring straight ahead, concentration written on her face, Kagome nodded.

Miroku opened his hand "KAZAANA!"

As the rock flew towards them, Miroku jumped out of the way before it struck him down. Looking back at Kagome, he was startled to see the blue haze starting to outline her body, her hair rippling slightly as she held a spinning blue orb of energy between her hands in front of her.

Kagome braced herself as the boulder came hurtling towards her.

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The demon master watched as the girl focused her energy into the sphere she now held. He had noted her progress of late. She was quite good, perhaps enough to go through a more challenging test. He had long since found the weak point that lay between the half breed and the woman. As of yet, it didn't need to be approached. He was a great demon himself. He had reined in his fervent fascination with the mortal. He could wait until she proved herself.

Tuning to a demon vassal, kneeling on one knee to his right, he saw the creature flinch and he chuckled. The lesser demon mentally checked himself. They all feared their lord, he was just as likely to tear his claws into your flesh as he was to caress a soft cheek, if the mood struck. The blood red color of his master's eyes was broken only by the black irises that took on the shine that only nocturnal animals had. Those eyes were now on him, and looked to be in the process of contemplation. How many times had he seen those eyes shine with malicious glee while torturing an unfortunate prisoner with his cruel whips? The servant suppressed the urge to shudder, fearing the reaction should his sovereign notice.

Raising his eyes to the master, he waited. The demon lord pulled his lips back into a cunning grin. He turned his gaze back to the pool of water where the girl's image was frozen, shimmering. He decided on the perfect test for her.

"Release the Taireny."

The servant walked down to the hole where his master's latest creations were kept. Their blood-curdling screams rang out and bounced off walls of the narrow passageway. With the lord's eyes no longer on him, he shuddered freely. He hated going down there, even though he was safe by the iron bars that him from them. Reaching his destination, he looked down from the ledge where the release lever was. Seething, malicious eyes of putrid green looked up at him. They had already been sent the information on who they were to seek out, and their enthusiasm was evident. It was too dark to see anything else. The demon stepped back and pulled the lever. He heard the machinery click into place as the stone walls on the outside pulled back, allowing the Taireny access to the outside. All that crossed the demon's mind as the dreaded creatures exited was pity for their prey.

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Another boulder shattered with crack as the blue shot struck it. Pebbles rained down from the sky where it had once occupied space. Similar shards of rock littered the ground around the three people in the valley. Miroku sat on a smaller stone, slightly out of breath. He had been running almost continuously as he drew other giant rocks from the ground with his wind tunnel. They had moved from ones slightly larger than himself, to ones akin to the one that had just exploded. Those were slightly larger than a house that could have easily accommodated up to 6 people. As Kagome approached, he could see her hair settling back and the vibrant aura start to fade as the energy started to subside. Her eyes were lively and sparkled.

"Wow! That was amazing! Such a rush! I can't believe it, now I can actually battle!" Her voice was animated. She turned as Kaede drew near.

"Kaede! I feel so... full of energy! I used to be tired, but now.. it's like I can feel an adrenaline rush while I use my powers." Calming down slightly, she continued, "I mean, I don't feel it now, but it used to hurt a little to try and use that much power."

Kaede smiled at the girl. She had done very well. She still needed more control, the senior woman could sense the younger's grip on her abilities was still a little tenacious, although the girl wasn't aware of it. Still, that would come with more practice.

"Ye did well child. We will practice more later, but for now, I think we've kept the monk up long enough." With a wink to Miroku, Kaede moved to lead them back to village.

A bone-jarring screech ripped through the air. The small group on the ground whipped around to see the sky above them filled with winged demons. Kagome was terrified and revolted at the same time. She had never seen any kind of demon like these. The wings were bony and leathery like those of a bat. Their faces were all similar, something of a cross between a rat and a rabid wolf, with the snout elongated and the lip curled in what seemed to be a permanent snarl to show off vicious looking teeth and fangs. The creature's skins were a dark, muddy grey, with legs like the hind legs of wolves. Their arms were strung with lean muscle, a savage claw extending past each finger. The beasts looked terrifyingly strong, with no distinction between the male and female members.

Kaede was confused and alarmed. These beings looked to be demons, yet their aura was not completely demonic in nature, and still not even close to human either.

Kagome and Miroku faced the creatures as they started to bear down on them.

"Kaede! Return to the village quickly and get Sango and InuYasha!" Miroku called over his shoulder as he attacked the things with purifying scrolls, then his staff. Kagome was already firing blasts of energy at them, taking two or three down at a time. Kaede assented and ran, creating a barrier around herself. She soon found that it was unnecessary, the fiends were not chasing her. Actually, it was as though she did not exist to them. Taking a moment to analyze the situation, she realized their target. Kagome was defending herself from multiple beasts while only three or four were after Miroku. _They are distracting him..._ Dread clenched her stomach as Kaede realized who would have set the monsters on them. Fear helped her feet fly to the hanyou and the demon exterminator. She wasn't sure Kagome would be able to come out on top of this new task put to her. _Please gods, my strength is in thy hands, and I need ye to assist these old legs._

Meanwhile, the monk and the girl battled with what appeared to be a never ending number of the hideous things. Miroku was tiring, Kagome knew. Ignoring her own fatigue and running towards him, she grabbed his hand, heading for the far end of the valley. As they ran, one of the creatures grabbed her by the shoulder, lifting her off the ground and into the air. The monk was attacked by another set of demons as the one that had hold of Kagome threw her against the steep valley of the wall. Rushing to her before she could regain her senses, the beast pinned her with his body. Kagome froze. It opened its menacing jaws and roared. Immediately, she clamped her hands on either side of its head. She was angry, scared, and she could feel the power within her responding as it rushed through her veins. Her eyes flashed in anger, blue flickering through. The Tairen male briefly registered this in his animalistic mind before the swift, intense burn scorched through his skull. Azure light covered the creature as he became ashes in the calm hands of the girl. Before it could follow the way of its owner, Kagome grasped the fierce katana that hung at its side.

She ran back to Miroku's side, slashing and jabbing as she went. As the blood of the demons dripped on the ground, and her own clothing, Kagome noticed it was burning the grass, and into her haori. Training her eyes of Miroku she called as loud as she could.

"Miroku hold on! Don't let their blood touch you! It's acidic!"

Her legs pumped harder. The animals were now swarming Miroku as well as herself. The one that had grabbed her had taken her so far. She wasn't going to make it to him in time.

"HIRAIKOTSU!"

The large bone boomerang slashed through the air that was thick with Taireny. Kagome reached Miroku just in time to create a barrier around them, protecting them from the blood that rained down.

Sango and Shippo flew through the skies on the back of Kirara, burning and slashing at the creatures as they darted through them. InuYasha leapt into the air, hacking through them with Tetsiega.

"KAGOME!" His scream was like a battle cry. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her dragging the weakened monk under a sparse tree. The demons had not expected any other opponents, and so turned on the new attackers. _Good, she's safe. Now to take care of these fuckers._ He landed lightly on his feet.

"KAZE NO KIZU" The massive attack swept through a number of Taireny, but a number dodged it. InuYasha felt pain burst through his left side. Looking down, he saw the sharper end of one of the creatures' katana's piercing through him. He growled as he reached around and wrenched the weapon free. Spinning around, he sliced the offending demon's head off. Several beasts rushed him before he could attack with the wind scar again, clawing, stabbing and throwing punches.

Above him, Sango, Shippo and Kirara were in a similar situation. Winged demons swarmed them, quickly bringing them down. Kirara landed hard as a Tairen female sunk her fangs up the gum line into her shank. Sango turned and furiously slashed the things head off. Blood spattered onto her, burning her arms. Sango cried out and recoiled, into the arms of another Tairen. Before she could counter, it slashed its terrible claws, leaving open gashes from her left shoulder to her right side. The kitsune who had been protected by Kirara torched the beast with his fox fire. Taking hold of her companion, with Shippo back on the ruff of her neck, Kirara escaped to the safety of Kagome's barrier.

Kagome hurriedly healed Sango's wounds, but the other girl was still weak from blood loss. Kirara transformed back into her kitten form. Shippo curled up on Miroku's lap. He had acted bravely, but now, with so many enemies surrounding them, he was petrified.

InuYasha was thrown out of the mound of Taireny he had been battling. The wind was knocked out of him as he landed on his back. Not thinking, Kagome rushed out grabbing the back of his haori, and dragged him to the barrier's borders.

The group stared at what faced them. The horrific creatures had decreased in number, but there were still as many as thirty or more. The savage faces leered. Kagome breathed heavily. This constant use of her power had turned the adrenaline. She was now getting tired, the barrier weakened until even Shippo could have walked through with only discomfort. The animals took the chance provided and swooped down at random, slashing with claw, teeth and swords. Her friends were already weakened, yet they protected Kagome.

Anger churned through her. These awful ... things, would slice them to ribbons. They were taunting her and her companions. She could feel the energy of those around her waning, her barrier now gone completely. Fury at the beings flooded her, encouraging her already provoked powers. She clenched her hands into fists. These things wanted a battle, they would get one. Torture and kill the ones dearest to her? _I don't fuckin think so...  
_

The Taireny paused in their attack. There was something strange in the air. InuYasha and Shippo sniffed the air. The older of the two immediately recognized it. Kagome pushed through the protective circle of her comrades, head down, hair shadowing her eyes. Shippo backed away from her step, afraid of the scent coming from his beloved Kagome. Sango stared. Miroku stood by her also in awe. Even InuYasha was taken aback.

Kagome's aura surrounded her in the intense blue of early morning. The energy radiating from her caused her hair to flow out off her back and her clothes to ripple. Her eyes were the most striking. Again, they had changed. The whites of her eyes were now a pale blue, not just tinged. Her irises of beautiful brown had not just lightened, they had turned to blue, only shades darker than that around them.

Kagome started to create an energy orb between her hands, in front of her chest. The power she felt coursed through her. She lifted one corner of her mouth in a half smile. Her voice was low and implacable.

"I've had enough of your bullshit. You want me that bad?" She started to sneer and raised her voice, "You're master can't come after me himself? Fine. Come then."

The Taireny snarled and shrieked in response. As one, they flew towards the female that pulsed with force.

Kagome felt the cold smile crawl onto her face. She widened the orb until it was about three feet in diameter. The beasts drew nearer. She poured power into the force for a massive blast. The evil creations were ten feet away when she finally released the blast, throwing her arms wide and her head back.

Miroku protected his eyes with one hand and wrapped one arm around Sango as she shielded her face in his robes from the blinding light. Shippo buried himself in Kirara's fur as the cat demon hid her own face in his neck.

InuYasha covered his eyes with one sleeve of his haori. The brightness of Kagome's blast encompassed them all. He could see nothing past it, all he could hear was rushing, like wind or water. Risking a glance at the blast's source, he was stunned at what he saw.

Kagome was smiling. It was the small smile of contentment. I What the hell is this that she can feel such release/I

With a snap in the air the blinding light vanished. Looking around them, there were no Taireny in sight. Soft ash floated to the ground. They were all in shock.

Kagome stood for a moment longer, arms now hanging at her sides. Her breathing was shallow.

" They're gone... all gone now..."

She dropped to her knees. She was so weary. Her friends rushed to her side, concern splayed on their expressions. Sango placed a hand on her arm. Raising her heavy eyelids to the woman, Kagome spoke just above a whisper

"They're gone now right?"

Sango nodded. Throwing Kagome's arm over her shoulders, she lifted the slight girl.

"C'mon, we have to get back to the village." She and Miroku helped Kagome onto InuYasha's back. The monk and kitsune would ride with her on Kirara.

Loosely linking her hands around his neck, Kagome sighed as InuYasha started to head back to Kaede's village. She knew her beloved sensei had sent him and the others. She hugged him before slipping into oblivion.

InuYasha's ear twitched. Picking up the pace, his mind ran as fast as his feet. Kagome had said something about those things having a master? He hadn't heard about it. The village crept into view. He resolved to find out about it when Kagome woke up. _What the hell is this about a master? Has he attacked before?_ InuYasha felt his emotions rise. He muttered to himself, but addressed the question to the girl he carried.

"What the fuck does he want from you? And why haven't you told me?"

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Black eyes surrounded by the color of blood watched the events

_My, you have done well haven't you? Maybe I will set that little chink in your armor to work  
_

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A/N: Ok, so there's chapter 8. Boo and Hiss to the bad evil guy hey? ;) hope you guys like so far, please let me know, comment and criticism is appreciated! look for chapter 9 on Saturday!


	9. Fragile Trust

Cardinals were singing and the sun was signifying the middle of morning and noon as Sango exited the hut where her friend was sleeping. She hugged the winter kimono around her and looked at her feet as she walked. She had on a pair of boots that Kagome had brought back for her. They were clumsy, but kept her feet warm. As she headed for the storage shed, she replayed the last night's events in her mind. What had happened? What were the creatures that attacked Kagome and Miroku? Miroku had been sucking them into his wind tunnel until he realized they were poison. Then he had to defend himself with his staff and sacred scrolls. Until she and InuYasha had come along.

Sango couldn't believe how many of them were there. For each one they had killed, it seemed two more would take its place. She winced as she grazed the still tender sore on her hand from the acid blood of the things. The number of beasts almost had almost been their undoing

Then Kagome had created the energy blast. Sango saw the wild look of the normally placid girl in her mind's eye. She was concerned, and confused. Long ago, Kaede had told them that Kagome would get more powerful, but she hadn't mentioned anything like this. The exterminator rolled her worries through her head as she entered the smaller hut. Because she was focused on the ground, she did not see the monk already in there. She startled herself when she walked face first into his chest.

"Oh!" Automatically, Miroku's arms encircled the girl to keep her from falling as she stepped back.

"Miroku! Uh, what are you doing here?" Uncomfortable in the close embrace, Sango blushed, but found herself unable to pull away. Sensing her discomfort, the houshi uncharacteristically released her.

"I came to get some fresh water and food for lunch. Is... Kagome still out?"

Sango dipped her head. The worry that had plagued her earlier appeared on her face again. Feeling the warmth of Miroku's hand on her shoulder, she looked up into his softened eyes.

"Do not worry, dear Sango. I'm sure she's fine. Kagome is a lot stronger than we give her credit for."

Sango bit her lip and fiddled with her hands for a moment. Finally she spoke her concerns.

"Miroku, I know she will be fine, she always comes out of things like this. But, I'm worried about what happened to her at the valley. What was that? I know what Kaede said, but... did you know that she had those abilities? It was almost as though she became possessed or something. Even Shippo was afraid of her. After we brought her back to the hut, he confided in me and said that her scent changed." Words unspoken flitted through her thoughts. _Is this an evil energy she's tapping into?_

Miroku did not respond for a moment. Squeezing her shoulder in an effort to comfort her, he spoke.

"I, too, am worried. I have spoken to Kaede about what happened, she will take it from there. We don't know as much as what she seems to about Kagome's powers, or this 'master' Kagome mentioned." Seeing that Sango was still hesitant, he continued.

"I know it's not normal for her to be so closed up about this, even though I'm sure she's talked with you a little, but she has to be scared as well. The only thing we can do is wait until she feels ready to fully discuss what is happening to her. We are her friends and we will be there for her."

Sango looked up at the monk with admiration. _Sometimes, he really does surprise me._Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace. Miroku blushed, and tentatively slipped his arms around her waist.

"Thank you, Miroku." She was glad that she had talked with him. She didn't feel so isolated in her worries now.

Miroku smiled softly at her words. When she didn't let go, his mind turned to other, less chivalrous things. His left hand started to very slowly slip down her waist...

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InuYasha watched from his perch in the opposite tree as Sango left the hut Kagome was resting in. Jumping out of the tree, he landed lightly on the ground. When he was sure Sango wasn't going to return for another little while, he strode towards the little shack. After entering, he knelt by Kagome's side. As he watched her sleep, he ran his conversation with Kaede over in his mind. These recent attacks seemed too focused on Kagome. Normally the demons would be paying attention to her anyway, but only for the Jewel shard she carried. Nioaku, Merona, and these other demons weren't concerned with the jewel. Just Kagome.

He had approached the old woman about Kagome's latest display of power first. Kaede had wanted details of how and when Kagome changed. She wanted to know whether he had scented fear or anger in her, though he didn't understand why. When he told Kaede that he could smell a spike in both feelings in the young girl, the woman became pensive, seriousness taking over her features. She focused on a small pile of wood that she kept in her hut for a few moments then muttered something that InuYasha had thought strange. _'It may be necessary for her after all' _ Whatever the hell that meant. When he asked about it, Kaede had brushed him off in a manner that InuYasha didn't feel he should oppose. Finally he brought up what Kagome had said about the master.

Flashback

"She has not told ye yet then?"

InuYasha's sarcasm over came him "Would I be askin' you if she did?"

For his remark he received a solid thump on the head with a piece of wood.

"Watch ye're tongue and mind ye're elders" he glared at the old woman while rubbing the painful lump she had created.

"The master is not something I should be tellin' ye. If ye ask her, I'm sure she will reveal all. I'm surprised she has waited so long." InuYasha became shocked, and a little angry. What was this? Why hadn't Kagome told him? He thought about Miroku and Sango. They had all seemed a little weird. Had they known too? He could feel the hurt and anger building within him.

"Ye need not be angry with Kagome, InuYasha." He looked up to see the aged priestess preparing a meal as she talked to him.

"She does not wish to worry you with more concern for her. Ye know that she would never keep something from ye out of malice. She is strong, but she wrongly thinks this is something she can take care of by herself. She does not think it is something serious yet. She wants to prove herself to ye."

End Flashback

He had walked out of Kaede's home and sat on top of the hut where Sango was tending to hers and Miroku's wounds, and Kagome was sleeping. His own had healed easily; the demons had overpowered him by number, but had not done much physical damage. If the things had kept their distance from Kagome and the others, he would have been able to use the wind scar more. After some time, he had shifted positions and sat in the tree across from the hut, out of sight of the others, but able to see when the hut would be empty with the exception of the one girl he needed to talk to.

This left him to where he was now. Kneeling by her side, debating whether to wake her or not. His brows knitted together. Damnit, why didn't she tell him? He was still bothered about it, angry even. But he was trying to take what Kaede had said into account. His thought was interrupted as Kagome let out a small groan. Screwing up her face in discomfort and raising a hand to her eyes, she sat up and blearily looked at the hanyou next to her.

"What time is it? How long was I asleep?" Sleep was still in her voice as she spoke. Before InuYasha could answer, she rose to find herself still dressed in her training haori and pants suit. There were some holes in it from the Taireny blood that had been spilt. As she brought out a v-neck black sweater and grey jeans, InuYasha turned his back so she could change.

"It's almost noon. You've been sleeping since last night." Her mumbled response sounded nervous, as if she had suddenly been put on edge. Kagome paused at his next statement.

"You need to tell me about this master guy and what the hell has been going on."

She had known what he was going to ask before he even said it. She bit her bottom lip. What could she say? What she did know wasn't going to be enough. Turning to face him, she sat back down. Following suite, InuYasha stared intently at her for a moment. She knew that he had found out that she had told someone else, Sango, before she had told him. Everything in his face told her so. Taking a deep breath, she started the rather short story, starting with Nioaku, through her talk with Kaede, up to the most recent attack. Despite the difficulty, she still left out the well. _It's not that important._ And it was growing less so as time went on.

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Kaede watched as the hanyou left. When she was sure he was out of range, and that no one else was around, she headed towards the pile of logs in the corner. Moving them to one side, she knelt by the exposed patch of floor. Folding her hands in front of her, a whispered chant passed her lips. A glow in the shape of a square, roughly two hands length, appeared in the ground. Reaching into the light, subtle luminescence splayed on her features as her hands touched what she sought. Rising up again, she held a beautiful ornate box in her hands. It was made of rich mahogany, the center of each side marked with delicate carvings that told the story of what it contained. The corners were edged in a subtle pattern of gold and silver leaf. The lid was also elegantly carved, not with a story, but with the words of a long dead language, which only few knew of now. The picturesque inscription described the purpose of the treasure the container held, and how to use it. Encased in the detailed carvings were small precious stones, all in faint colors. The stone in the middle, roughly the size of a coin, was beautiful emerald. Kaede smiled softly as she held the ancient container. She had received the box from her mother, and had been taught of its purpose. It had been passed down through generations, to the youngest daughter of the family protecting the shrine in her village.

Kagome's powers had her thinking about this since they had started training, but it wasn't until InuYasha's words about last night that had her considering that the item within the box was meant for Kagome. Placing it back into the hidden compartment and closing the entryway to the hiding spot, Kaede pushed the logs back to their original position. She would talk with Kagome further, and then decide if it would be necessary to open the olden wooden box.

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"This is why I didn't tell you in the first place! I knew you would be angry!"

Before the monk's hand reached the curve of Sango's bottom, Kagome accidentally saved him from himself with her yell. Sango turned from him and exited the storage shed and hurried to stand to the side of the hut to see what was happening. When Miroku pulled up behind her, he saw Kaede looking out of her own doorway at the commotion.

"Why the fuck wouldn't I be angry? You think this isn't a big deal? That this guy isn't dangerous?"

The three onlookers watched the heated argument between the human and the hanyou. At some point, Shippo had found his way into Sango's arms, but also stayed quiet.

Kagome whirled to face InuYasha. She met his infuriated gaze and hesitated for a moment, before her own temper flared. She hadn't told him because she didn't want him to worry; she was going to tell him... he didn't understand.

"I know he's dangerous! It's me he's been talking to! Me he's sending these monsters after! He talks to - I've been training to defeat them!" Kagome had gritted her teeth. She hadn't told anyone about the dreams she had been having lately either. They were terrifying, yet she was sickened to find that the girl in them felt a thrill in the nightmare. She would be dressed in a black and red gown. Her eyes were the color of blood. Her hand rested on a man's arm as they looked over a world of chaos and death. Sometimes, she would see her friends, all slain and covered in blood. Worst was when she saw InuYasha, he would be kneeling in front of her, his eyes pleading. Throughout all this, there were low sensual words muttered in her ear, words she could never recall when she was awake, but that terrified her all the same. In her nightmare, she would see through her own eyes as her free hand plunged through InuYasha's chest and ripped out his heart. A tear would slip down his face, then his eyes would go cold and blank before he toppled forward. Looking up to her left, she would gaze into blood red eyes like her own. Then, as the fresh blood of the man she loved dripped down her arm, they would laugh.

Kagome shook her head, trying to rid herself of the image she had just risen from

"Defeat them! Defeat _him!_ I don't care how damn strong you think you are, you can't take this guy on your own! You can't even fully utilize your powers yet! You're gonna get yourself killed!"

InuYasha's eyes were angry, every muscled stressed. How could she not tell him? How could he protect her from something he didn't know about? He followed her, still furious, as she turned from him, heading for the forest.

"You don't even know what you're talking about! I know you're worried, InuYasha, but that's why I didn't tell you! I may not be strong enough to take him out, yet. But I can defend myself!" She threw her comment over her shoulder. They were not in the woods, but were surrounded by trees. They're friends could still see everything that was happening.

InuYasha grabbed Kagome's wrist and whirled her to face him. His fear for her safety was overwhelming him. His hurt that she hadn't trusted him with the information was whirling inside. What came out was his anger that she had been so foolish as to keep everything to herself.

"How can you be so fucking stupid? I know exactly what I'm talking about! You think with this energy crap you've got, you can take on anything! Well you can't! You're not strong enough yet! How am I supposed to protect you? Sure, you blasted the creatures, but if Sango and me hadn't shown up, they would be chewing on your bones! If brainlessness is the side effect of you power, there's no point if havin them!" His grip had tightened on her wrist, his nose just inches from hers. Kagome could feel her own rage welling up inside her. _Stupid? STUPID! He runs into every battle without thought and I'm stupid? He doesn't know anything! _She tried to wrench her wrist free of InuYasha iron grip, becoming blindingly angry with him. He didn't understand. He didn't know what it was like. To feel this pulsing power under everything you did. To have this awful dream every time you closed your eyes. To know that what was inside you could be turned into that.

InuYasha yanked on her arms bringing her back to face him again. Her free hand came up and pressed against his chest, just to the side of his heart. She could hear a rushing in her ears as her ferocity pulsed through her head. She raised furious brown eyes into his equally enraged amber ones.

"You are going to talk with me about this." her growled out between gritted teeth.

Kagome could feel her pulse quicken as her fury with him raged through her. She applied more pressure with her hand against his chest. To get some space between them. To get him to let go of her wrist. She pushed as hard as she could, to get _away_.

"I can take care of myself. Now...back!..Off!" She pushed forward with her arm with all her might.

Before she could stop it, she was astonished to see a flash of aqua light spread out from her hand and flare into InuYasha's chest.

Caught off-guard, InuYasha grunted with the blow and was slammed back to a tree a few feet behind him. Surprise and pain registered as he smelt scorched clothes and skin in the air. Looking down at his chest, he saw source of the scent.

Kagome looked on in horror. Her eyes shot from InuYasha, to her hand, and back again. She trembled. What had she done? InuYasha was looking at her, stunned and hurt, physical and emotional, clear on his face. He looked down at his own chest again as he raised a hand to cover the wound that Kagome had created.

_She..._ He was taken aback. The breathless feeling he was experiencing had nothing to do with injury he had. Kagome had struck him with an energy blast. Visions of Kikyo raising her arrow against him swarmed his mind. He closed his eyes. A devious little voice in the back of his mind spoke up. _I knew it..._

Kagome took a gulp of air and rushed to where InuYasha was standing. Her voice was panicked and whispered, tears already forming in her eyes.

"InuYasha. Oh god. I'm ... I didn't mean to... "She reached out cautiously to the wound. InuYasha pushed her hand away roughly. Kagome pulled her hand away and looked at him, remorse making her hands go cold and her heartbeat flutter. She knew she had damaged more than just his body. When he raised his eyes to hers, his look was hard and icy.

Straightening, he walked past her and headed to the forest, head down. Kagome ran and grasped the arm of his haori.

"InuYasha! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! It was an accident! Please..!" Her mouth was dry, her body felt taunt. _Please don't go..._

Hope leapt in her heart from a moment when he took hold of her hand, only to come crashing down as he pulled it away from him and release it.

"You're right. You don't need me." His words were hard as stone and struck her with a force that left her gasping for air.

Turning his back to her, InuYasha leapt into the canopy of the trees and left.

Sango and Miroku watched in stunned silence. Had Kagome just attacked InuYasha? Glancing to the old woman who had also witnessed the scene, Sango saw the sadness etched in her face before the elder turned back into her hut.

Shippo finally spoke up.

"What's happening to Kagome?"

Sango took a step forward, not able to answer the little kitsune, but wanting to console her friend. She hesitated, unsure of what to do. Miroku leaned forward and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Go to her Sango. I'm not sure what just happened, but she needs you right now." Sango nodded at the monk and deposited the cub into his arms. She hurried across the road to Kagome.

Kagome sank to her knees in the snow. She didn't hear Sango's voice calling her name. Didn't hear the crunch of the snow as the other girl came to her side. Her chest felt empty. Her head spun.

_What have I done?_

Whatever fragile trust had been between her and InuYasha had shattered. She looked in self loathing at her hands. Her temper, her powers, she hadn't been able to control them. Now she had lost him. As the certainty hit her, the hollowness was filled with a searing ache. Hot tears slipped down her cheeks as she raised her hands to her face.

Sango immediately wrapped her arms around Kagome. She didn't know what to say to her. Part of her felt afraid for some reason, wanted to panic. Instead she held on tighter to the younger girl and let her cry.

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The Youkai smiled as he watched the two girls in the snow. The pool of water rippled as he turned away and faced the undead miko.

"So you decided to come."

She sneered at him. The soul collectors weaved around her, protecting her from the miasma he encircled her with to keep her weak.

"I understand that you have the remaining shards, with the exception of three. I came to retrieve them."

The demon master laughed. Stretching out his palm, he displayed the large shard.

"This? I don't really have a need for this, but I figured it might come in useful one day." He closed his hand again. "And how it has."

"What is it you wish to bargain with?" Kikyo eyed him suspiciously

The youkai paced slowly in front of her, long ebony hair flowing out behind him. He toyed with the shard, bringing it to eye level.

"Not much really. I want you to separate the hanyou and the girl. The one I believe is your reincarnation?" He saw her harden at this statement

"I need not be involved with them. Besides, to be used as your puppet? I'd prefer not."

The demon brought his face just inches from hers. As he raised his hand, Kikyo saw a red soul collector appear. She gasped as it sucked the souls that kept her alive from her body. It stopped just as she felt her strength starting to slip away entirely.

"Now, I think you might want to reconsider. This collector of mine will stay by you just as your own do. It cannot die, and will not disappear until I instruct it to. So long as you follow my orders, it will allow you to live." The demon straightened again.

"Of course, it won't allow you enough strength to access your more dangerous miko powers, but enough to do the job. If not..," He pointed at the corrupted soul collector, and immediately it sucked another soul from Kikyo's body. "You die."

He strode to his throne and slung one leg over the arm of the chair. "I'd be more than happy to release you from my little pet, and give you the shard, once you've completed the mission." His tone was almost jovial.

Kikyo glared at him. She detested the creature for using her. InuYasha and the girl were of no concern. She hated both. But she didn't want to deal with them until other issues had been taken care of. She gritted her teeth. This bastard had just bumped himself up on her list.

"Fine."

The youkai clapped his hands in contentment. Without a word, he lifted the miasma, allowing Kikyo's soul collectors to release her. Fixing a deadly stare at him one more time, one that he paid no more attention to than a fly on the wall, Kikyo turned and left.

Watching her back as she walked away, the Master smiled. _I thought she was supposed to be a powerful miko. I'm disappointed. _ He turned his head and craned his neck slightly to gaze upon the shimmering image of his obsession. He reached out and touched a tear-stained cheek, causing the water to ripple. _Soon..._

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A/N: so, there's chapter 9. ... Not much to say about this one, but I like throwing Kikyo in the mix, she makes for great conflict later ;P hope you liked it, please review!_  
_


	10. The Sad Tale of Kaori and the Amulet

A/N: These are some name meanings that you kinda need to know for some of the story to make sense:

Etainoshirenai - mysterious

Kaori - Beautiful Girl; Kimi - she who has no equal.

Ayana - eternal bloom – native americam

Nozomi - Hope

Mine - resolute protector

Kiyoshi - m, the quiet one

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InuYasha sat on a rather high branch in the God Tree. He wanted to be away from the others, but close enough in case trouble came up. His legs dangled on either side of the branch, his back braced against the trunk. Raising a hand to his chest, he touched the healing wound then brought his hand to his eyes. Blood. Only a little now. When Kagome had struck him, most of the damage had been taken by his haori. Soon, the mark would be healed entirely and it would be as if nothing had happened at all.

He looked down at his chest. Kagome's mark was just to the side of his heart. Between his heart and where Kikyo had struck him. He felt... he didn't know. The feeling was more foreign to him than the love he felt for Kagome. And it was so much worse because of that. He still loved her... just... didn't trust her. The knowledge of that caused a deep ache in his soul. He hadn't wanted to trust her, but she had broken every barrier he had erected. And now... He had regretted leaving the moment he leapt into the trees, but he didn't know what else to do. He had to get away, he couldn't think straight. InuYasha remembered the look in her eyes. Anger, frustration, fear... so many things. Then she had pushed him away, literally.

He closed his eyes. He was angry, mostly at himself for letting his heart get in the way of everything. He felt hurt, and betrayed. Kikyo's betrayal was hard; he thought he would never again feel anything like it. This had been so much worse, somehow. Kagome. Kind, gentle, loving Kagome. Never, never had he thought she would ever strike out at him, other than to sit him when she was angry. Two voices, one belonging to the part that loved and hoped, the other to the one that feared and was bitter, warred inside his head.

_But she said it was an accident! _This voice was small, crying out. _ She was angry! Kagome would never intentionally hurt you!  
_

_When has she ever used her powers other than to attack?_ The other voice was hard, angry.

_It was an accident! Remember her eyes? You ran before you or she could find out why it happened._ Kagome's pleading face swam behind his closed lids. His heart lurched a little.

_Come on! It wasn't like before, she wasn't possessed! She attacked you, in anger. She already knows her powers can kill you. It's just like Kikyo._

At this, InuYasha closed his mind off to the two arguing sides of his heart. Maybe she had meant to strike him. Maybe it was an accident. All he knew was that he didn't want to feel this... hollowness, as if she had pulled away a part of him, again. He didn't want to care this much. He wasn't going to give her the chance to do so again. Hardening his heart as best he could, InuYasha jumped down and landed nimbly on the balls of his feet. Slowly, he headed back to the village.

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Sango held Kagome for a little longer as her tears subsided. The tears she had shed had been silent ones, the kind that hurt the most, making her gasp quietly and her shoulders shake. Finally she had risen, eyes dry. Wordlessly, Sango rose with her and started to walk back to the hut. Kagome wrapped her arms tight around her body and hung her head, not wanting to meet anyone's eyes, not wanting Sango to feel the need to try and talk to her. Though the energy orb had been small, the significance of her strike at InuYasha was enormous. She had literally lashed out at the one most dear to her heart, because she was angry. There was no excuse. Kagome knew InuYasha had replayed the horrible, recurring scene of he and Kikyo in his mind. Knew it from the look he had given her. She shut her eyes tight to stop fresh tears. She didn't want to be like Kikyo! She never wanted to hurt InuYasha!

"Kagome."

The two girls stopped, raising their heads at the wizened voice to the left. Kagome brought her eyes slowly to those of her sensei. Kaede read the sorrow and regret written in them, and nodded to herself. This was the right decision.

"Kagome, I need ye to come inside with me. Sango, could ye see to Shippo please?"

Sango nodded, gave Kagome a quick squeeze about the shoulders, and turned to take Shippo from Miroku. Kagome turned her head to look at the little kitsune that had always adored her, and wished she hadn't. In his eyes was an uneasiness that she wasn't accustomed to. She turned her head quickly.

Following Kaede into the hut, Kagome couldn't help but replay the whole terrible episode in her mind. In retrospection, she could see multiple times where things could have, should have, gone differently. She cursed herself under her breath.

"Kagome, what is done, is done. Ye can only repair it now and move on." The old woman had her back turned to her. Kagome sniffed. Shippo's and InuYasha's face's appeared in front of her eyes, then faded again.

"But Kaede... I... I used my power against him. I actually... hurt him. And now... he..." her words were hoarse, trying to climb their way out of her still tender throat. She turned her face back to the door for a moment. " And Shippo..." Her words died away as her throat closed over, threatening more tears. She swallowed forcefully, trying to remove the lump that had been created. Blinking, she turned back to the woman when she laid a hand on her shoulder. She saw in Kaede's free hand a beautiful wooden box, carved and set with gemstones.

"Dear girl, Shippo is a child himself still, and what happened did frighten him, but he will not turn from you." Kaede led her to the small sitting area, when the two sat facing each other; she laid the ornate box between them. "InuYasha will take some time. He has wounds in his heart, such that even with your powers, they cannot be healed easily. But he does love ye, Kagome. He will return, ye will speak to each other, and must move on from there. Ye will rebuild the trust ye had."

Kagome started to protest, but was hushed when Kaede raised her hand. Her voice was soft, but firm.

"Quiet now child. I know the young half-demon means a great deal, and I know ye lament over what happened. We must discuss your powers now."

Kagome sat quietly with her hands in her lap. She waited for the elder to speak again.

"Ye know ye have abilities that are quite powerful. I hadn't anticipated this kind of power from ye. Have ye noticed when ye're power is most forceful?"

Kagome thought back to times when she had been overcome with her energies. Merona... The creatures... And InuYasha. Her heart twinged a little. She answered in a whispered voice.

"It has something to do with my emotions. When they are too extreme, that's when... I ... lose control."

Kaede nodded. "Yes child. In times of stress, the force ye have within ye pushes past ye're training, and ye're own known abilities, and takes over. Ye then rely completely on instinct as ye are not strong enough yet to keep it under ye're control." She paused.

"As such, these powers can be a danger to ye, as well as others."

Kagome had been looking down as her teacher spoke. Inwardly, she felt depressed, like there was too much pressure on a balloon, and she was the balloon.

Kaede watched Kagome's reaction to her words. The girl was dealing with so much. She was used to being a normal human, and when Miko powers had been introduced to her, she had dealt with it fairly well. Kaede hoped Kagome would have the strength to cope with what the gods now saw fit to bestow upon her.

The priestess reached across the top of the lid of the object between them. Lightly, she ran her fingertips over the center jewel. At her touch, the emerald shone, as if illuminated from within. The spell that kept the box sealed until only she decided otherwise was released. Kaede lifted the lid and picked up what looked to be a delicate chain. The fabric inside that cushioned the object was black and soft. Kaede picked up the filigree rope and raised the necklace to reveal the pendant that hung from it.

Kagome was awestruck. What hung from the woven links of silver was large oval amulet, its length easily the same as her thumb down to the second joint. As the dim light reflected off the piece, Kagome could see that the amulet was not made of one jewel, but two. On one side was a sapphire of the deepest blue. On the other, a blood red ruby. Both stones were dark, and beautiful.

"This is a very powerful amulet, Kagome. Its story started many centuries ago." Kaede's eyes were half lidded as she told the story her mother had told her, the story that had been told for generations until Another came along.

" Before there was the sacred jewel, before Midoriko was even planned, our lands were ruled by sorceresses. These women were very similar to priestesses, but their powers were much more... extraordinary..." Kaede glanced up for a moment, seeing that Kagome was still listening intently, she continued.

"The sorceresses' power was channeled spiritually, but also through their bloodlines. They often married men of strong spiritual powers as well, and the children of the unions were taught in their art. All children of these bonds had endowed blood; however females were typically stronger than males."

"Of these women, and some select men, there was a Council, made of elders, or those with wisdom beyond their years. The people that ruled the lands were fair, just, and benevolent, but highly protective. In order to ensure their world would remain a safe and beautiful place those that were strong in magic and spiritual power would enter arranged marriages, to produce strong offspring. Those with the charmed blood were marked for their sleek, smooth features, and fair skin. They had a regal bearing and lithe figures. Within their circles, they were ranked according to their strength in their abilities, and their bloodlines. Those that they ruled over often wondered if their mystical sovereigns were from another world. They were not demons, but they had demon-like strength and powers, yet they were not humans either. Although the governors had not given a name for themselves, their subjects grew to refer to them simply as the Etainoshirenai.

For many, many years, their world was a peaceful one, but it came at a price. The powers of the Etainoshirenai were valued for their healing and more gentle tasks, but also for their battle capabilities. There were masses of dangerous demons that wanted access to these lands, more than once there were battles fought by brave Etainoshirenai knights at the borders of the lands. The Council developed many battle plans and barriers to prevent the entrance of anyone who would come to harm the people they loved dearly."

Of the council, one Sorceress came to be with child. In due time, she bore a girl-child, and named her Kaori. Her mother was the head of the council."

Kaede paused for a moment, this next part of the story was important to Kagome. Looking up, she saw Kagome still enraptured in the tale. Kaede took a deep breath as she continued her tale.

"Kaori was a bright, playful child. Her skin was smooth and light, her face a delight to all. Her hair was raven silk, like her mothers. Her eyes were blue like jewels. She laughed easily, and loved everyone and everything around her. From her first small years, however, she displayed amazing talents in the arcane arts. She and her mother spent days upon days in a sun dappled orchard, or in the warmth of a cozy study with a window overlooking the lands, studying and practicing her skills. By three, Kaori could levitate herself, which made for a troublesome three year old. By the time she turned five, the tiny sorceress could create fairie fire and heal. There was many a day when her and her mother would walk along a river, or in the forest, in search of small creatures in need of aid.

It was on one of these normally happy adventures that the Head Sorceress of the Council met her tragic end.

One afternoon, the two's travels brought them, unattended, to the borders of the land. Kaori's mother soon realized how far they had wandered and urged her young daughter to turn back. By the time they had started to return to their home, it was too late. That part of the borderlands had been quiet, which was the reason Royal mother and daughter had stayed in the area. Unfortunately, it also meant that it was considerably less guarded. Before she had the chance to defend herself, the Head Sorceress was set upon by fierce, deadly demons. Upon seeing them attempt to attack her beloved child, the woman swiftly created a barrier around the terrified girl, protecting her from any harm.

Kaori cried out at seeing her mother attacked and overwhelmed. She had been taught from the time she could talk on how to send for help with her magic, and soon there was a flash of red as a stream of light flew into the sky, exploding like fireworks. The youkai paid no heed. Their mission had been to slay the Head Sorceress, and that was gradually being accomplished. Kaori aid-flare was responded to with swiftness. Soon the area was filled with Etainoshirenai knights. The demons had escaped, leaving the small child still under the protection of her mother's now wavering barrier.

The knights rushed to the clearing, lead by another Sorceress, Ayana. The tall, lithe woman bent to hold Kaori's mother, long silver hair cascading over both of them, tears falling from her eyes. This was her dearest friend she held in her arms. It was she who had been the most powerful of the Etainoshirenai, and it was she who was supposed to have been Head Sorceress. Instead, the silver locked woman had stepped away from the council, taking the role of advisor for all. She had done so for decades. She was different from the other Etainoshirenai. Though all had lives that extended longer than humans, she was older than all, and yet never seemed to age. Though it was not in their nature, most of the Etainoshirenai were subtly wary of her, yet Kaori's mother, Izanami, had no such qualms. They loved each other like sisters.

The child and her mother were brought to the center of the city, where their home lay. Ayana knew that Izanami did not have much time remaining, and that she was too far gone for the Etainoshirenai healing powers to help her. Upon her death bed, she named Ayana as Kaori's guardian.

After her mother's death, Kaori became somber. No longer did she run threw the halls of her home, or the cathedral where she still went with Ayana to practice and study. Instead, she curled away from the world. Over time, Ayana was able to bring the child out of herself again, although she was never the same child that all had known. The older woman took as her own, guiding her and loving her as though she were her own daughter. Although she never forgot her natural mother, and always loved her dearly, Kaori soon saw Ayana as not just her guardian, but a mother of her heart as well. Eventually, the two continued training Kaori's skills, but never again approached the distant borderlands.

As Kaori aged, her education in the arcane continued. Soon she had mastered all that Ayana had taught her. She used her powers with an unheard of precision, with the exception of her emotions. If those interfered, either the uncontrollable powers within her failed, or overwhelmed her. Kaori spent a great deal of her time with Ayana, and had mastered much, but still needed a great deal of control in order to use more powerful spells or if attacking in any state of passion. Her skills however extended past the arcane, she also bested the most talented knights in archery, and battling with swords. Many thought that it was inappropriate for such a noble Etainoshirenai to take up battle arms. Ayana had approached the young girl only once about it. Kaori had refused to lay down arms. Her guardian-mother understood and let the matter drop. It was not long until the people that the Etainoshirenai, as well as the Etainoshirenai themselves, no longer called Kaori by her name, but rather by another title. Kimi.

When the young sorceress turned twenty-five, complications arose. She had been betrothed at birth to another Etainoshirenai, by the name of Kiyoshi. He had grown to become a wise sorcerer and all, even Ayana, thought the match was a good one. Kaori rejected the marriage. This was the one subject that Ayana held firm on. She reminded the daughter of her heart that there were duties that had to be held to. Reprimanded, Kaori had reluctantly agreed after a heated argument. She was still a child and the marriage itself would not take place for another ten years.

As years past, Kaori continued to study her craft. Soon, she was offered the seat of Head Sorceress on the Council, to which she politely declined. The harmony that had been so hard kept by the Etainoshirenai was being attacked again, and this time the forces the peaceful people fought against were much more threatening. Kaori felt her place was on the front lines, battling the demons.

One day she returned and met with Ayana. Her adopted mother felt a difference in her immediately and knew something had changed. Kaori revealed to her that she had met a youkai while strolling through the words while she was off duty. Ayana had feared the worst, but Kaori's eyes sparkled. It had been love at first sight, and somehow, the two had managed to continue to arrange meetings. Kaori had been afraid that Ayana would scold her, but the other woman understood much about a wayward heart. She was saddened only that Kaori could not let her new-found love prosper. Gentle though they may be, the Etainoshirenai laws were binding. Kaori would have to marry Kiyoshi, regardless of her feelings, to strengthen bloodlines. Her heart-daughter then revealed further information. She was with child by the youkai prince. She had not been so for long, so there was no need for hiding an expanding figure. Knowing their people would not accept a child of Etainoshirenai and demon blood, the two made excuses of a needed sabbatical.

In their hidden sanctuary, the months past and Kaori had her child. A girl whom she named Nozomi. With their combined powerful magic, the two women purified the babe, removing any trace of demon blood. Only at Kaori's pleas did Ayana leave the child's eye color alone. An enchanting sable brown that she had inherited from her father. After the birth, the two conspirators returned and insisted on an immediate marriage with Kiyoshi. Soon after, with the help of their magic, they presented a faux pregnancy and babe, which was soon replaced by Nozomi. Although everyone who saw the ebony haired child expected her to have her mothers eyes, they were not too surprised to see that she had inherited a much richer shade of her false fathers muddy irises. With her adored daughter, Kaori was happy for a time.

Sadly, this happiness was not to last. The demons forces had strengthened and all were called to the largest war the lands had seen. Kaori left Nozomi in her guardian's care, for the first time making a demand of the woman who had been her friend, co-conspirator, and mother. She was not to come to the battle, but to look after the infant. Kaori left for the duty of her lands, and with the hope that she would make it a safe world for her child.

On the battle fields, there was much blood shed. The Etainoshirenai fought with the blood lusty demons day in and out. Kaori led many a battle herself, slaying as many demons as she could. On the third day of the battle, she saw a familiar face, but instead of being overjoyed, was furious. Ayana had come to the battle lines. The older woman sternly faced the furious sorceress as she told her that her daughter had been spirited out of the country for safety, and that she would not be found. Kaori was battle-weary and resigned. Ayana's presence in battle meant that things had become truly desperate.

The following battle was the last. Dressed in the slim outfits of warriors, the two women led the battle charge. Many fell, both demons and Etainoshirenai. With neither magic nor sword faltering the two fought side by side. Kaori stopped only as she drew back her katana to slay a demon with sable eyes and hair the shade of night without stars. The battle continued on around them, neither sorceress nor youkai moving. It lasted only a moment longer, before Kaori watched her love crumple before her when another demons savage-looking katana pierce his heart. Ayana was at the girl's side in a heart beat. Kaori would not be moved, but the demons were fast overtaking the Etainoshirenai. Ayana knew the worst would happen if something wasn't done soon. Without thought, she placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders and instructed her to pour her heart into her powers coursing through her veins and create an energy blast.

A colossal blast of blinding blue light poured through the valley as Kaori released the tremendous power she held within her. When Ayana opened her eyes, the battle was over. There was no sign of either Etainoshirenai or demon. Kaori's blast had destroyed all, with the exception of Ayana, and the demon she loved. Ayana felt the change in the girl that was now limp in her arms. She was dying. Her powers had deteriorated her body, and her heart was not willing to live. Kaori asked her heart-mother to lay her next to the youkai. Sorrowful tears slid down her cheeks as she brought a hand lovingly to the face of the slain demon. Her last words were a request for Ayana to make sure Nozomi would have the strength to control her power as Kaori could not, and to be happy. With that, she died. Ayana wept for her daughter. Knowing she could not cry for long, the odd Etainoshirenai quickly surmised that a descendent of Kaori would need restraint. Shearing a strand of her own silver hair, Ayana used the art to create with the lock a filigree chain. Sweeping the remaining tears from Kaori's face, and cupping a small amount of blood from the youkai, Ayana murmured a chant between her closed hands. When she opened them, the tears had become a sapphire; the blood, a ruby. The two were soldered together into an amulet and connected to the chain. Whispering another enchantment over the powerful pendant, Ayana stood and swept her hand over the bodies of the daughter of her heart, and Kaori's chosen love. The silver tressed sorceress allowed herself one more tear as the two turned to dust and were swept away with the wind. "

Kagome gave a start as she dragged herself out of the picture she had created in her mind's eye when Kaede's voice stopped. Her eyes begged the woman to continue. Kaede looked past Kagome to see that outside, night had fallen. Taking a sip of water, the old woman finished the tale.

"The battle between the Etainoshirenai and the demons, and Kaori's final expenditure seemed to have had eradicated all living members of the gentle protectors. If there were any that remained alive, aside from Ayana, they had fled to another world. The fair being made her way to a small village in the rural area of the lands, and approached the temple that stood at its borders. This temple. On her way there, she used her art to create a wooden container from an ancient time tree. She carved the story of the amulet into the box. From the woods around her, she created tiny gemstones to place into the carvings to hold the enchantment she cast upon it.

When she reached the temple, she found the family that guarded it hiding in its recesses. The fear was wiped from their faces as she told them the war was over, but sorrow marred their features again when she told them that the Etainoshirenai were no more. The wife of the priest held a small babe in her arms. There was another girl to the side, the older sister. The infant's name was Mine. Ayana had sent Nozomi away, charming the child so that she would not found by anyone through the blood that ran through her tiny veins. Ayana could not find her, but she knew with a certainty that the enchanted blood would return, and when it did, the Amulet would be needed.

Holding out her hands, she asked for little Mine. The girl's mother handed her over without question. Bending close to the tiny ear, Ayana whispered words that neither of the parents could hear. Handing the child back to her mother, Ayana also displayed the ornate box. She informed the parents that their youngest daughter, and the youngest daughter of every family that guarded the temple after, would be charged with the keeping of the container, until Another came. The words she had breathed into Mine's ear were the instructions on everything the girl would need to know about the box and what it kept. This information would make itself known when the child came of age. After giving all the information she could, Ayana moved to the corner of the temple and opened a small portal. Laying the object inside, she closed it again. Before she left she told the awestruck family that Mine was the only one who knew of how to access the container again, and that she must hand down all the knowledge regarding it to her youngest daughter, generation over generation, until the time came that one of the blood came again. Her final request was that the parents tell their child of that day.

Ayana then walked towards the woods. The priest turned his back for only a moment, but when he looked in her direction, she was gone. Neither Ayana, nor Nozomi were heard of again."

Kaede looked up at Kagome. The older woman was tired from telling, but Kagome's eyes were lowered.

"That's so sad. In order to save the people, she had to wipe out her own race. And her daughter had no family. Ayana was left alone. How awful to have to protect someone that way."

Kaede held the amulet a little closer to Kagome. Gently, she asked. "Child, do ye know why I am telling ye this? Do ye know what ye're powers mean?"

Kagome reached out and caressed the stones of the amulet briefly. In that moment, the dull gems sparked with life, as if they glowed from within, only to fade again as her fingers drew away.

"I suppose I am also Kaori's reincarnation?" The words were spoken with sad expectation. _Someone else I will have to live up to...  
_

Kaede looked at the girl for a moment. Did she really not understand? Again, she spoke gently, this information was essential for Kagome.

"Kagome, ye are not her reincarnation. Ye have all the extraordinary powers of the sorceresses of the Etainoshirenai. "Kaede could see that Kagome was still trying to process this information. Reaching across with one hand she took one of Kagome's. Her next words took the breath away from the young woman.

"Child, ye are the one of the enchanted blood."

"Ye are the Sorceress Kaori's descendent."

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A/N: hope you liked it! I'll update again w/ 2 new chapters either later today, or tomorrow. please R&R


	11. Kagome's Torment

Kagome stared for a second, then blinked and shook her head, as if it were suddenly filled with cobwebs. She gave a nervous chuckle and pulled her hand away from the older woman.

"Kaede, that's impossible. I mean, the bloodline would have died out after Nozomi. No one knows who she married. The enchanted blood would have thinned out."

Kaede smiled softly, she sensed the nervousness in the girl. A lot was being asked of her. To accept that she was the last of a great and powerful race, not just a human, not just a girl with Miko powers, but an Etainoshirenai.

"Kagome, the Etainoshirenai sought out those who would strengthen the line by instinct. Nozomi would have followed her heart. She did not have the training of her kin, and probably had no knowledge of what she was capable of, but she would have selected a strong mate just as any creature who feels the need to pass strong genes to its children."

"But none of my family has ever displayed powers before me. And I only have Miko powers. Maybe I'm just a more powerful miko?" Kagome begged Kaede with her eyes to tell her this was so. Something in her was afraid of making the connection with the Etainoshirenai. Kaede saw her plea and was dismayed. She could see the girl was collapsing under the conflict that she held in herself even now. She still wanted to see herself as a mere human, the portal between the worlds immediately making her normal again. By allowing it to be closed, Kagome was unknowingly forcing herself to face what she was.

"Kagome, yer family had no training and no need for the powers that lay dormant inside them. Yer own abilities only came through when ye came to our time. And even then ye did not possess what ye do now. It wasn't until we started training that yer true abilities came through. Ye wield powers like that which has never been seen in any Miko. Powers that have not been seen for centuries."

The image that she had created of Kaori destroying her people and herself with her grief flashed through Kagome's mind. She felt a great pressure on her chest. Was she capable of that? When she posed the question to her teacher, she made her hands into small fists. Her nails bit into her palms upon hearing the answer.

"Aye, girl. The power ye carry will eventually become strong enough to destroy without yer intention, if ye do not have the control or training to restrain it."

Kagome bit her lip and nearly drew blood. Kaede laid the amulet in front of her again. Kagome raised her worried eyes to the elder.

"That is the purpose of the Amulet. Its magic is strong, it makes it unbreakable. It will restrain the majority of yer powers until ye are strong enough to control them successfully."

Kagome gave a small, sad chuckle. Shaking her head again, she looked into the priestesses eyes.

"I'm sorry Kaede; I just can't believe I am the one of the blood. It's too..." Kagome shrugged her troubled shoulders, "... just unbelievable.

Kaede nodded to herself. The child would need some proof of her heritage. Placing the necklace back in its box, she closed the lid. A small amount of light streamed out of the small space between the lid and its joint as the spell replicated itself. Placing the box between them, Kaede gestured to Kagome.

"The gem on the center of the lid only recognizes my blood. It will illuminate and the lid will be released from the spell. This is the enchantment placed on the container so no one else will be able to open it. I want ye to try and open the box the same way I did earlier."

Kagome drew her brows together. What was the woman up to? Still, she reached across to the lid and caressed the emerald. The precious stone remained dull and lifeless. When Kagome attempted to open the box, she found it was impossible. Kaede reached out and brushed the gem with her fingertips. Immediately, the green jewel brightened at her touch, its color warming. Kaede opened the lid and withdrew the pendant once again. She held it up to the waning light.

"Watch as I touch the stones." Kaede held the necklace by the chain and laid the amulet in her palm. Nothing. Like the emerald with Kagome, the amulet of ruby and sapphire remained cold, dark, and lifeless.

"Now, I want ye to try." Kaede extended her arm and held out the chain for Kagome to take. Tentatively, the young woman reached out and gently held the delicate piece. She cupped her hands around the Amulet, letting the links slip through her fingers. As her skin made contact with the gems, a light sparked from within them. The small light grew until it seemed the stones had a fire glowing within them. The illumination brought them to life in Kagome's hand; their beauty took her breath away.

As Kagome stared into the precious jewels, she felt a warmth, and a not unpleasant hum, spread from her hands where the amulet lay, and extend throughout her body and into her heart. She took a deep breath as the force that she constantly felt lately eased. She felt calm, almost relaxed. The realization that this meant Kaede was right about her own bloodline struck Kagome. In the back of her mind, she was saddened.

She pursed her lips as she made a decision. Handing the jewel back to Kaede, she turned her back to the old woman and lifted her hair, indicating to her sensei that she would wear the amulet.

"I'll wear it Kaede, could you clasp it for me? Once we break the barrier, I'll remove it only when I'm in my time." Kagome's voice was tightened. She was getting a strange knot in her stomach.

She felt Kaede's hesitation. She turned her head.

"Kaede?"

"Kagome, if ye wear this chain, ye cannot remove it until ye've sufficiently mastered yer abilities. It will allow ye larger increments of power as ye gain larger control, but until yer soul and yer energy are whole, ye will not have the power to fully manipulate yer capabilities, and thus will be unable to take off the amulet."

Kagome let this information sink in for a moment. If they broke the barrier over the well, she wouldn't be able to just slip back into normality. She couldn't leave the amulet on her dresser like the shards. It would be a constant reminder, hanging around her neck. _You're not human, you're Etainoshirenai. This confirms it.  
_

Her back still faced Kaede, her hand still held up her hair. She bit her lip. Though she was sure she knew the answer, she asked anyway.

"What if I don't wear it? What if I train really hard? Can I... would I be able to hurt anyone then?"

The older woman knew who she had in mind. Kagome would need the hard truth, no side-stepping the answer.

"I do not have the power to restrain ye, child. Ye would be a danger unto yerself, and the ones ye hold dear."

Kagome closed her eyes. Resolution settled, cold and firm, on her heart. Nothing would make her harm anyone she cared for again.

"Then I'll wear it." He voice was firm now, her resolve absolute.

Kaede questioned no more and swept the chain around the young girl's neck. Kagome felt the cold of the stones just above the cleave of her breasts for only a moment before their warmth flooded through her again. Kaede linked the clasp of the chain, watching as it melded together to become another link into necklace. Although it seemed the chain was large enough for Kagome to slip it over her head, the strand of silver had been enchanted to prevent her from doing so. Kagome let her hair drop then looked down at the pendant. Her mind rushed. The amulet quelled the lashing power within her, but her heat still raced, yet her lips felt numb.

"Thank you, Kaede." The words sounded small. "I have to go for walk."

Kaede nodded. Her student needed time to come to grips with herself, she wouldn't deny her that.

-------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------

Miroku had stayed outside after Sango brought Shippo into their hut to calm the little demon. He watched as Kagome exited the elder woman's home. She crossed the path to the hut they all shared, head down. After entering briefly, she left again, now wearing a warm, down-filled dark purple jacket. She raised her eyes once to him. Miroku expected a small smile, perhaps the girl to talk to him. Instead he received a nod from her. He noted Kagome's troubled eyes to himself as he entered the hut their other two friends occupied.

"Where is she going?"

Both Sango and Shippo looked up at him; the kitsune's eyes were distressed. It was no longer fear that shone in them, but concern. It was the exterminator that answered him.

"We don't know. She just came in, grabbed her 'coat', and left. She said she was going for a walk, but that was all." Sango was also concerned. She had never seen her young friend so distant, so cheerless.

"It's like she's got something really bad on her mind. She's never been this unhappy for this long," Shippo's gaze switched back and forth rapidly between the two adults in the room. He dearly wanted someone to tell him she would be ok. He and Sango had talked, and he knew that Kagome would never hurt them on purpose.

Sango stared into the fire in front of her.

"Kaede spoke with her in private. In must have been something important, but I don't think it is our place to ask."

"I wonder what Kaede said to her?" the monk mused, but neither of his two companions had any words for him.

--------------------- ------------------------- ---------------------------

InuYasha entered the village as Kagome was leaving. She was walking in the opposite direction and stopped for a moment. She looked over her shoulder and caught his gaze. Her eyes held his for only a moment, within them he read regret, sorrow... and fear. InuYasha was confused. Fear? He wanted to ask, but was unsure how to proceed. It was as though they were back to square one with each other, with even bigger hurdles this time. Before he had the chance, Kagome's eyes dropped down as she turned and walked, a little speed added to her step.

InuYasha cursed himself. So she didn't want to talk to him. Sure, he had acted like a prick, but he was worried for her. And she was the one in the wrong! Why should she turn away from him? He was ashamed of his own behavior, grabbing her wrist, knowing he was hurting her a little, and particularly for running away. There was nothing else to call it. Remembering his promise to himself at the God tree, InuYasha hardened his heart again. A sneaking thought told him he was almost better off stuck to the tree. Almost.

Kagome had felt someone watching her and upon meeting InuYasha's eyes, a new emotion added to the ones that swirled within her. Shame. The pain of what he considered a betrayal was still etched in his features. He had run from her. She still couldn't really grasp it. Never had she done anything to InuYasha to cause him to turn from her. She saw his eyes glaze over for a moment, and knew that he was comparing her to Kikyo again, in the worst way. Releasing her gaze from his, she turned and walked briskly into the woods. She wouldn't be able to hurt him again, and for that she was glad. But it meant that inside of her was something great and terrifying. Again she told herself she was no longer human. In fact, never had been. She plagued her thoughts with visions of herself in her ancestors place. The ideas of what she was capable of spun through her mind faster than she could process them.

_Not human, Etainoshirenai. Not human, Etainoshirenai. Not human, Etainoshirenai..._

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

For the following week, things were on edge. Between the four companions, there was little, edgy talk. Even Shippo was uncharacteristicly quiet. Kaede had left the morning after telling Kagome of her heritage, in order to assist a neighboring village. The old woman had assumed Kagome would tell Sango, and the older girl would help her friend deal with her new discovery. She had assumed incorrectly. Although Kagome knew that she had the ability to do great good with her powers, torturous images of what else she could do consistently crept unbidden into her mind. It was these she was terrified of. These that were the reason that her mind couldn't accept what her blood knew to be true. Kagome didn't want to be able to do horrible things, only the benevolent. What happened if there was another accident like InuYasha?

Sango, Miroku and even Shippo had tried to draw her out, but to no avail. She only gave them a small smile and told them she would be ok, before turning back to the fire, the distressing gaze now familiar in her eyes.

She and InuYasha would remain in each other's presence, but somehow managed to avoid talking to each other unless necessary. The air between the two was tense, stressed to the point of breaking. Their three companions were concerned for their young friend, but were helpless. InuYasha was being incredibly bad-tempered lately; all of his words came out sarcastic and curt, in order to keep the others from prying. All he saw was that Kagome refused to talk to him. The exterminator, the monk, and the kitsune saw her falling into a depression they didn't know how to bring her out of.

------------------------- --------------------------- ---------------------------

Kagome attempted to sleep. She had curled into the corner of the hut, away from the others, with her back turned to them. InuYasha was not with them. He had left sometime before they went to bed. Shippo had fallen back into his habit of sleeping near her. He knew she was afraid, and sad, but didn't know why. He knew he felt better when she cuddled him, so he made his best attempt at doing the same. He was snuggled into the top of her head. As of late, Kagome started to turn and move a lot when she slept. She told him it was a bad dream that disturbed her.

Such was the case tonight. Again, her terrifying dreams assaulted her mind, disrupting her much needed rest. She had been having the dreams for some time now, perhaps a week before the accident with InuYasha. Since then, they had only grown in intensity. Her face winced in sleep as the dreaded image floated into view behind her closed lids.

_She watched herself bow to an unseen man. All of the dreams were like this now, she was a trapped onlooker. The same black and red gown clung to her. The low cut, medieval style dress pooled underneath her dreamself for a moment, before she rose again. Exuding a malevolent and sultry confidence, the girl strode easily forward to take the proffered, clawed hand that extended from the shadows. It led her to an ornate, obsidian throne. Kagome watched as her friends were led out in front of the malicious couple. She cried out in her nightmare as she watched her dreamself first narrow her eyes at each victim. First Miroku, then Sango, then Shippo, pleaded for their lives, for her to remember they were her friends. The vile woman that carried Kagome's visage only sneered and made a comment that Kagome could not hear. Then, slowly, Kagome was forced to gaze on as the creature slowly slayed the doomed in front of her, one after the other. By the time the wench was finished, blood shone off of the stone floor. Kagome tears streamed down her face, cries of anguish wrenched themselves from her throat. She begged for the nightmare to stop, but there was no one to give her solace. She shook her head violently as her eyes settled on the next individual brought out._ Please, no! Not again! _InuYasha, bound heavily with chains, cursed and writhed in anger before being dumped on the floor at the feet of the queen of the horrendous, bloody dream, and the still unseen king. Kagome saw InuYasha glance around at his slain comrades, and turn a look of confusion to the black and red clad woman before him. She watched as he questioned her, tried to 'bring her back to herself". Her dreamself mouthed a phrase "Insolent, unworthy half-breed." the air cracked as her hand connected to the hanyou's cheek in a slap that left gouges from her nails. Blood welled and trickled down his face. InuYasha's countenance darkened. He lunged forward. Kagome saw his words "Traitor!" and "Bitch!" fly from his mouth. Her terrified eyes took in the scene as the nightmare unfolded to its ending. A wicked smile curved the lips of the girl on the throne. Red energy pulsed from her hand before she slashed it downward. A gaping wound opened on InuYasha chest. Kagome could hear the blood gurgle as he tried to draw breath. Her screams tore out of her throat as she covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She knew what was coming, but despite her efforts she still saw and heard the revolting episode. The hand that was still glowing reached in and plucked the still beating heart of the hanyou. The light from his amber eyes faded. The hated woman laughed as he fell forward, then rose and walked toward him. Kagome could see that the king at her side rose and walked with her. Kagome felt sick as her dreamself used InuYasha's body as a step-stool and raised herself to kiss the unseen lips of her malicious lover. The heart in her hand slowed its beating, and stopped. Kagome wept in her dream, cried out against it. Then when she had thought that the nightmare had finally ended, she saw the blazing red eyes of the male her dreamself still embraced open and stare at her, the one who was watching them. A chilling voice swept through her mind. "I can make this happen. You can stand by my side." Fear clutched her heart and stole her breath. Those eyes would bore into her soul... eat her heart and destroy her and all she knew, she spun to flee from them...  
_

Her eyes snapped open. Her heart was racing, her breathing coming in short, shallow gasps and her skin was glistening with sweat from fear. Her face was damp with either tears or perspiration, she knew not which. Licking her dry lips and attempting to take a steadying breath, she half rose and glanced around. She was relieved to find all within the hut still sleeping. She started to tremble as the cold memory of the nightmare descended upon her. Despite the chill in the air, she had worn a broad shouldered tank-top and sweatpants to bed, as her sleeping bag was quite warm. Just as quickly as she had felt the cold, the warmth from the glowing embers of their fire started to feel as though it closed in upon her. Kagome started to panic a little as the smothering sensation started to envelop her. She needed to get out. Rapidly, but without disturbing Shippo, she rose and grabbed her down-filled parka. Shoving her feet into a pair of warm winter boots, Kagome plunged into the waiting winter air outside.

Immediately, she felt the claustrophobia subside. Her mind still warred against the idea that she was not human. That she had to power to take life, as well as heal it. And then there were these horrible, terrifying dreams. They kept her from sleeping; she feared closing her eyes, knowing what awaited her. Why did this being in her mind haunt her? She felt so... separated from the rest of the group now... Not knowing what else to do, Kagome bowed her head and walked, although she did not know where.


	12. Coming to Terms

Shippo opened one eye. He listened to crunch of footsteps in the snow fade as Kagome swiftly put distance between herself and the hut. He was worried for her. He knew she was tormented by something, and not just the demon thingy that Sango had told him and Miroku about. He wanted to go after Kagome, but knew that she would only return him back to the shack, and feign sleep until she thought it was safe to slip out again. He had noticed that this was becoming her habit more and more lately. Wait until the others were sound, then slip out, only until just before dawn broke. Then she would creep back in unnoticed. Shippo knew that she was not practicing magic. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled when she did that. He looked from Sango to Miroku, to the door. He had a sick feeling in his stomach that something bad was going to happen. Someone needed to talk to Kagome.

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The little kitsune was pretty sure who that somebody should be.

InuYasha sat on a snow covered log. He was at the base of a cliff that faced the village. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't stayed near the village in the night since whatever had happened with Kagome. He felt like he should talk to her, but she wouldn't even keep eye contact with him during the days. He was worried about her. The face that once was so optimistic was sullen and pale. Her eyes had taken on a pained, haunted look and most of her time was spent away from everyone, her mind distant. He had hoped maybe that Sango would talk to her, bring her out and maybe then they could discuss things. But it was useless. Every time one of their friends approached her, she smiled a little and just said that she was feeling ill. Dark circles emphasized the look in her eyes.

Kagome wasn't sick, InuYasha knew that. He would have smelt it off her. Was she this upset with him? Did she think he hated her? He grimaced to himself as he realized she probably did. His right ear twitched as he heard the soft crunch of feet in the snow. He brought a hand to his face. He would bet his left fang that it was Miroku coming to talk to him about Kagome. Again.

He turned to snarl at the unwelcome monk when he was surprised to feel the heat from a much smaller body sit next to him.

"InuYasha, can I talk to you?" The tiny fox demon sat cross legged next to the hanyou, not looking at him.

Taken aback, InuYasha gave a small grunt of acceptance. Not only was the kitsune's presence a surprise, so was his tone. Normally, he mouthed off to the older half-demon.

"Well, it's just that... I'm worried about Kagome." Shippo tried to choose his words carefully. He knew InuYasha cared for Kagome, but that he was also very testy. His voiced was filled with anxiety as he continued.

"She doesn't talk to any of us anymore, and she's always by herself, holding on to herself like this." Shippo demonstrated by placing his hand just below his collar bone and gripping the fabric of his shirt tight.

"And she doesn't sleep. She tells me that she has nightmares when she does. I know that's true cause when she sleeps she makes noises, like she's seeing something bad, and sometimes she cries. Then she wakes up." InuYasha could hear the pain and sadness in Shippo's tone. It reverberated against his heart. What was happening to Kagome? He immediately felt guilty for not being there for her. Shippo continued.

"After she wakes, she leaves. That's why I came out to find you. She left again tonight, but I don't know where. I... I'm afraid for her, InuYasha. I have a bad feeling." Shippo shook his head as he finished the sentence.

InuYasha was stunned. Kagome had been leaving during the night? On her own? Did she still not realize how dangerous it was for her? He started to become angry, but then distraught sable eyes swam into memory, and the anger subsided. She wanted to escape. Whatever it was that tormented her, she wanted to be rid of it. Damnit! He should be trying to find out what was wrong, not avoiding her. His foolish self-made promise was thrown to the wind like so much dust. _Kagome, I'm sorry_

His eyes focused again as Shippo came into view. The little demon was standing in front of him with pleading eyes.

"Please, InuYasha, will you talk with her?"

InuYasha stood and patted the youngster's head.

"Yeah. Thanks Shippo."

His ears pointed as they heard a faint but sharp scream burst through the silence from the left. Kagome's scream. Leaving the young demon behind, InuYasha flew toward the sound, not letting his mind settle on what might be happening. _Be okay..._!

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Kagome ran through the forest. Hopping over fallen logs and ducking under snow laden tree branches, she frantically fled from the creature that chased her. She had walked far from the village, and she doubted that the others would hear her. She had stumbled on a cave, not unlike the one that she and InuYasha had spent almost a week in, but in larger proportions. She had entered it only to investigate, but found its inhabitor didn't feel like company. The twenty foot ogre now chased her mindlessly. It was fully intent of killing her. She had thrown energy balls at it, but she had only been able to conjure small ones, exhaustion and the amulet that seemed to lay heavy on her chest, holding her powers back. While the blasts had hurt the beast, they angered it more. Now she was running for her life, her lungs burning as she gulped the cold winter air. She saw a clearing up ahead, and in her weary state, thought it was the same that had the God tree. She tried to scream, but her throat was dry and hoarse from her gasps.

She stumbled and fell into the small field and looked up to realize that she was still nowhere near the village. Her breath came in short, ragged pants. _Damnit! Why did I have to go so far!_

She looked over her shoulder as the ogre came crashing through the trees. Closing her eyes, she waited for his hand to reach out and crush the life from her.

"KAGOME!"

_Strange, he sounds like InuYasha..._ Kagome thought, in her drained state. She opened her eyes to see a flash of red as the hanyou slashed through the ogre's arm with Tetseiga. The creature roared in pain. Forgetting the girl, he swung his remaining meaty arm towards the grinning dog-demon.

"This is too easy. I don't even have to use the wind scar on this thing." InuYasha said to himself. He bound away from the beast's clumsy attack and pivoted on his heel. Spinning back, Tetseiga sliced through the air, and then through the leathery hide of the ogre's shank. Mad with pain, it lunged for InuYasha and almost seem to snatch the half-demon within it's think fingers. Nimbly leaping out of harms way, InuYasha vaulted himself up on the thing's wrist and pulled off an acrobatic flip over the ogre's head. Swiftly, he slashed downwards, severing the base of the spine and swiftly killing the thing. The hanyou dove off the ogres shoulder and landed next to Kagome as the dead thing fell behind them. He gripped her wrist and helped her up.

"You ok?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes, thank you."

InuYasha was still confused. Why hadn't she destroyed the thing? She definately would have been able to. Kagome started to turn from him. He reached out and held her shoulder.

"Wait. You're always takin off, and I'm not done talkin. What's wrong? This thing was weak! Why didn't you slay it?"

"I can't"

InuYasha was taken aback, again.

"You can't? What do you mean you 'can't'?"

"I just can't ok!" Kagome tried to pull away from him. The fear, the self-dread, the terrible conflict that she had been warring with was rising up in her. The fragile shield she held to keep it all inside was shaking. She trembled.

InuYasha tightened his grip, and then more gently, placed his other hand on her shoulder. He bent down to try and see her eyes. His words seemed hard, but his voice was soft.

"Knock it off. What's wrong Kagome? You're not yourself. You're unhappy, you haven't been sleeping, tell me what's wrong."

Kagome pushed herself away from him, but not before he saw bright tears in her eyes. He also saw how her face revealed the stress she had been coping with.

"You don't know what my 'self' is! Who cares if I haven't been sleeping! I have shit to deal with!" She yelled.

Starting to feel angry, InuYasha yelled back

"Well that doesn't explain why the fuck you didn't kill that thing!"

"Because I CAN'T!"

"Because is not a fucking reason! Now tell me the real one!"

"BECAUSE OF THIS!" Kagome ripped the zipper down on the jacket and tore it from her body. InuYasha's eyes rested on the glimmering gems of the amulet that lay exposed on her chest. Bewilderment stole over his features.

"What...?"

Kagome strode within an arms reach of him again, holding the pendant out from her by the silver chain. Her voice was rushed and shaking.

"Kaede gave me this amulet to contain my powers. I can't control them. I won't be able to have uncontrollable surges of power anymore." Her voice was swollen with unshed tears.

"What? Why? What if you need it? Like just then? Why don't you just take it off!" InuYasha was vicious that Kaede had given the necklace to Kagome, and it showed in his tone. Kagome could have died! He registered the sudden wild look in Kagome's eyes

Kagome furiously shook her head. The emotions she had kept inside rushed through her. The nightmares, the anxiety, the horrible, maddening thoughts of what she was capable of; of what she could become haunted her for too long, she felt as though her clasp on sanity was weakening. She gripped either side of the chain and yanked upward in what she knew to be a vain attempt to remove the enchanted links.

"I can't take it off!" She cried out, frantic.

Her arms strained as the enchantment kept the chain at the level of her chin. InuYasha looked on in alarm as a line of welts rose where the links of the chain should have lain against her skin. The amulet was truly enchanted to prevent the wearer from removing it. Kagome let out small cries of pain as the welts reddened, but she refused to release the strand of woven silver. InuYasha hurriedly stepped close and held her wrists.

He glanced down at her arm, just below the shoulder. There was a faint scar there in the shape of a crescent moon. Further shame at his reaction to Kagome's accidental attack swept through him. That mark had been created by the claw on his thumb. He knew there were four similar ones on the back of her triceps, and the marks were further mirrored on her opposite arm. She had faced him when he was most truly capable of killing her, and still she had not wavered. At his touch, Kagome released the necklace, and the angry red marks faded when the pendant fell back into place. InuYasha stared into her panicked eyes as they welled up and spilled over with tears. She collapsed against him and sobbed. Wrapping his arms protectively around her, his mind raced. What was happening?

"I... I don't want to hurt you, or anyone else." The words were choked out and muffled by his haori.

"My p-powers..." Kagome shook her head against his chest." They're too strong for me, and I could... hurt... kill... people by accident. People I care about... people I love!" Her weeping continued as she tried to explain.

"I never meant to hurt you! That's why Kaede gave me this. I can't remove it until I gain control. Then I won't be dangerous to you... or anyone else I care about." Her tears had tapered off somewhat, but had not stopped. InuYasha was awestruck

"How do you have these powers?"

"I'm not human." Kagome's words were whispered. "I'm Etainoshirenai." She closed her eyes tightly. Telling InuYasha made it real.

InuYasha thought about pulling her away for a moment so he could look into her eyes, but brushed it away again as she gripped the fabric against his chest, as if for dear life. Without his needing to ask her, Kagome told the story as best she could of the Etainoshirenai and her connection to them, as per Kaede.

When she finished the tale, her clasp on his haori had lessened, but she still would not let him go. She needed his strength. Her voiced had wavered and cracked, but she had told it through. Raising her head to the beloved hanyou, tears filled her eyes again.

"InuYasha, I don't want this! I don't want to capable of killing someone I love! I want to be human! To be a normal girl!"

Fresh tears caught her and she wept again, quietly this time. InuYasha wished he was better with words so he could sooth her. He had forgotten. Kagome hadn't just been a mortal girl. She wasn't even from this time. These kinds of things, no matter how many times she may have seen them in their travels, were always unreal to her. Because they couldn't happen to her. Because she was from another place. Now things were different, she finally saw she wasn't immune to the magic of the world. He cursed himself again for his lack of 'being sensitive'. Choosing his words carefully, he made his best attempt.

"Kagome... you are who you are. What powers you do or do not have won't change that. You're still Kagome. I will always protect you, I will never leave you." He paused, his words dropped to a whisper. "I will always love you as you are, no matter what."

She tucked her head back into his shoulder as his words strode languidly through her mind.

"I thought I would lose my mind..." She whispered.

InuYasha held her closer and pressed his face to the top of her head, a hand into her hair. She had been so alone. He knew what it was like to feel as though you belonged nowhere.

"I'm here for you Kagome. I always will be."

Kagome felt her tortuous thoughts ease and melt away. InuYasha spoke the truth. Whatever her blood was, she was still Kagome. She would never be anyone else. And he was there for her. He didn't hate her, he still loved her. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she buried her face into the curve between his neck and shoulder muscle. She didn't trust her voice, but inhaled the rich, warm earthy scent that was unendingly comforting, forever safe, and always InuYasha. Then she shivered.

"Damnit Kagome, you shouldn't be out in that!" InuYasha eyed her tank and jogging pants ensemble.

Releasing her, he grabbed her coat. Enveloping her in it, he scooped her up and sprinted for the God tree. He didn't want to share her with anyone else right now. Hopping up the branches, he found his favorite perch, one that was sheltered from the elements and was therefore free of snow. The branch was wide enough so that it was impossible for either of them to straddle it. InuYasha deposited the girl there for a moment, and then leapt down to tell the others where they would be.

He was gone for only minutes, but to Kagome, it seemed forever. She pulled her coat tighter around her. Her face was beginning to show its usual brightness when he returned.

"They were going crazy worryin over you, but I dunno why. Shippo told'em I went after you. Keh, idiots. Anyway, I told'em you were with me for the rest of the night." After that, he refused to elaborate. It had been hard enough trying to tell the others, he would walk the nine hells before he went through that again.

Kagome just smiled, her back braced against the trunk. She didn't feel like going to the hut anyway, but how the hell was she supposed to sleep in a tree? InuYasha soon solved the problem. Making her move forwards, he sat behind her and leaned his back comfortably against the God tree, his right knee bent, his left leg curled in slightly. Pulling Kagome to him, he hugged her as she laid her head on her chest and heard his steady heartbeat. Curving into him, she slipped her left hand to her opposite side and clasped his right hand. Curled together, both were warm and comfortable. InuYasha was contented as he felt Kagome begin to slip into a deep slumber.

Kagome felt the tension ease from her muscles and her mind. InuYasha was here. She wasn't alone. He would protect her from monsters. From the master. From herself.

There were no nightmares waiting for her this time.

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The vicious youkai master slammed his fist on the arm of his throne. Rage contorted his dark face. He had lost the link to the girls mind. He couldn't coerce her with the dreams anymore. Now how was she supposed to see what kind of greatness she could rise to? The slaying of her friends was just to show her how easily it would be to be rid of them.

His furious gaze seared into the scrying pool. His lip curled in distaste as he viewed the raven haired girl and filthy half-breed in their sleeping embrace. He needed to be rid of that... that creature that dared to touch her.

That dead priestess, Kikyo, had not gone far. In fact she was still nowhere close to the village the young girl lived in. Placing his forefingers to his temples he sought out his latest unwilling servant. Using his corrupted soul collector, he sent his orders to the woman he held sway over. He didn't want to risk an outright attack on the mutt. Not only was it not worth his time, but the girl was loyal, and he didn't want her harmed at all.

The lip he curled soon smoothed into a smile that quickly spread to a laugh. The evil chuckle grew in chilling intensity, reverberating the stone walls of his keep.

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A/N: Sorry guys, meant to post this sooner. Hope you like it so far, please R&R!


	13. Brief Moments of Bliss

A/N: Wow guys, thanks so much for your awesome reviews! (although I don't quite think it's movie quality, but thanks anyway!) ok, so we're almost caught up to the chapters that I have all written, so I'm going to post this chapter first, then the next two that I have saved on 'Documents' in a day or so. Hope you like the fluff! Comments and constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks everyone!TTFN.

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Sango awoke late the next day. The night previous, she and Miroku had frantically searched the nearby woods for Kagome after Shippo had returned and told them of what happened when he went to speak with InuYasha. She recalled the relief that flooded through her when InuYasha had come and told them that Kagome was safe and with him. He had muttered something about how they needed some time to themselves, and then cursed at Miroku for the knowing look the monk had given him.

Sango was glad that things were going so well for her two friends. It had been obvious to her, Shippo and Miroku what the other two felt for each other, and she was happy that things were finally coming together for her friends. But still, something lingered in her mind. She was afraid for Kagome, not only for the powers that she now knew the girl wielded thanks to Kaede, who had returned that morning and told them about Kagome, but also for the trust that she knew the younger girl put in the hanyou. Sango knew that InuYasha loved Kagome, but Kikyo was a fixed image in the half demons heart. Was he finally able to let her go, and let the love he felt for Kagome in? Sango wasn't sure.

The exterminator rose and stretched. Quickly dressing herself in her robes, she started to tidy up her sleeping place when Shippo burst in.

"InuYasha brought Kagome back! They're in the village now!"

Sango rushed out with Shippo, eager to see her friend once again in good spirits. She wasn't disappointed. Kagome jogged over to Sango with her infectious smile spreading across her face. Wrapping their arms around each other, they stood in the middle of the path in a sisterly embrace.

"Kagome, we were so worried about you. Are you ok now?"

Kagome nodded.

"Yes, forgive me." She pulled away to face her dearest friend. "I was having a hard time, I should have talked with someone... but..." She trailed off. Sango nodded, now knowing what Kagome had been dealing with. She gave her quick squeeze again, then held her at arms length.

"I know, Kaede told us. We're here for you Kagome. Always."

Kagome dipped her head. "Thank you"

She was nearly toppled over when Shippo flung himself into her arms. The kitsune was ecstatic that he could no longer sense the depression that had held his Kagome for so long. InuYasha might be a bully, but he made Kagome happy.

"Kagome! I'm so glad you're ok! We searched and searched for you, but we couldn't find you. But InuYasha came back and said he found you. Are you ok?" Shippo's eyes searched her face.

Kagome hugged Shippo to her. Standing, she set him down again and beamed a genuine smile at the little demon.

"Yup, I'm much better!"

Shippo fairly jumped with glee and grasped Kagome's hand. He dragged her down the path, telling her of new things he had learned while she had been 'ill'. It was his way of referring to her behavior over the past week. Kagome's laugh rang through the air. Along their way to whatever destination Shippo had in mind, they passed Miroku. Kagome beamed at her friend, and waved. Unfortunately, Shippo would not allow any longer of a delay. Kagome mouthed a heartfelt 'Thank you' to the monk as the little fox tugged her away. Her best friend was Sango, doubtlessly, but she also had a special friendship with the houshi. In times she was frustrated with the miko powers or sometimes with the idea of living up to being Kikyo's reincarnation, she had found Miroku unexpectedly comforting. He sat, listened, and then just talked her through the issue. Lecherous he might be, but he was definitely a true friend.

Miroku headed on a walked towards Sango and InuYasha, who were still standing by the hut.

"So, she's much better now. She told you then InuYasha?"

The hanyou gave a small nod in affirmation.

"She told me about the bloodline last night. I heard about the Master and that this morning. He's still after her."

Sango glanced at Miroku. InuYasha hadn't said anything about the well. That meant Kagome hadn't told him yet. The exterminator sighed mentally. The longer her friend put this off, the worse it would be, she was sure. But now, with what Kagome was currently dealing with, Sango didn't want to say anything. Instead, she listened intently as InuYasha told the two what Kagome had relayed to him about the dreams that had tormented her for the past week.

The three concluded that they would have to keep a special watch on their young friend, as well as keep a sharp eye out for any sign of this Master that was so enthralled with Kagome

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Kagome met Kaede that night in the now snow-covered clearing where they trained. Kaede eyed the girl with some concern.

"Kagome, are ye truly all right? I understand ye... had troubles while I was gone."

Kagome smiled at her sensei, and inclined her head respectively.

"Yes Kaede. I was upset before and I didn't deal very well. Even now, I'm still having trouble processing it, and accepting it, I guess. But now I don't feel alone. I have my friends."

Kaede saw the truth in the young woman's words and smiled. The child was strong enough to bear the gift, and the burden, of her blood, as well as be honest about it. That was good.

Kaede knew that Kagome had not trained since the priestess had left the week previously. Kaede was unsure of how much of her students powers had been restrained by the amulet she now wore, but they would soon find out. Kaede crossed the center of the circle and cleared away an area of snow to kneel across from Kagome.

"All right, child. Let's start with the meditation."

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Later that night, InuYasha found Kagome along the path to the God tree. As he walked up behind her, he could here her cursing and swearing, could smell the frustration off her. _What the hell..._ Kagome rarely swore, and now she was doing enough of it to make the rowdiest sailor blush. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a questioning look when she turned to face him.

Kagome knew it was InuYasha. Becoming so attune to his presence, she had sensed him before he reached out to her. She was frustrated with herself, as well as with the amulet that she wore. InuYasha looked worried, so she gave him a small smile that ended up looking more like grimace.

"What the hell is your problem? You plannin' on tryin' to make me look tame or somethin'?" The question was good natured.

Kagome looked at him strangely for a moment, then laughed when she realized what he had been talking about.

"No, I'm just aggravated! Because of this thing," She indicated to her new necklace," my powers are pretty much cut in half. I can still levitate some things, but not of the same weight I did before. And not to mention those energy orbs I made, now I can't make them as powerful, or as large." She looked up to him, discouraged.

"They're about the size of Shippo, maybe a little bigger. So if we get attacked by something, I can take out a toe. Yay." The end of her statement dripped with sarcasm.

They started to walk again, Kagome with her hands in the pockets of her dark jeans, InuYasha with his hands crossed into his haori.

"Well, it's no big deal really. I can still protect you." Kagome noted the slightly injured tone in his voice.

"It's not that, it's just I feel so... useless without them now. You know what it's like to have the Tetseiga, and your powers. Imagine what it's like to have them taken away from you."

"I don't have to imagine it. It's called the night of the first full moon." InuYasha's sarcasm matched Kagome's earlier tone.

She chuckled. It was easy for her to forget that InuYasha even had a weak moment. Even when he was without his powers, he was brave and strong. She linked his arm into his, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Sorry..."

"Yeah well, you can be a bit of an idiot, so I won't hold it against you." he teased, trying to sound gruff.

Kagome pulled away, laughing at him. She pushed him, light heartedly.

"You jerk!"

This sent them into the light banter that they now enjoyed. It was like some strange version of flirting. It ended as they reached the God tree. Unknown to the other, both hearts warmed upon seeing it, encased in their own special memories.

InuYasha grasped Kagome's hand as an idea struck him.

"I could teach you how to use a sword."

Kagome shot him an incredulous look. "A sword? Me? You'd let me into hand to hand combat?"

The hanyou huffed. "I didn't say that. But at least you'd be able to protect yourself... just in case. Cause the gods know you sure as hell don't listen to me if I tell you to stay back."

Kagome smiled at the idea, considering it for a moment. She wouldn't have to depend on her restrained powers, and using a sword _would_ come in handy.

Kagome nodded and linked her arm with his once again.

"I think it's a good idea. Thank you."

InuYasha looked at her and gave small smile before returning his gaze to the tree. He wasn't sure about this idea. He didn't want Kagome to put herself in danger, which she was almost guaranteed to do with a blade in her hands. But he didn't want her defenseless either. A sword could help her if her powers weren't up to par, and anything should happen to himself.

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The days past swiftly, turning into weeks and soon it was the 'Christmas Time' that Kagome had told them about the first year she arrived. Knowing, although for two different reasons, that the girl couldn't return to her home as she normally would, her comrades plotted of a way to bring this 'christmas' thing to her. InuYasha and Miroku went to find a 'christmas tree', although they were not quite sure what one looked like. They brought back a tree that was still green, knowing that it matched Kagome's description of the tree that still had leaves. On the night of 'christmas eve', while Kagome was training with Kaede, they put it up in the hut they shared, decorating it with some of the coloring paper that Kagome had brought back for Shippo that he hadn't used, as well as trinkets and ornaments they had gathered during their travels.

They sat by the small fire and appreciated their work. Soon Kagome would enter.

Kagome walked back from her training disheartened. She hadn't wanted to go for a walk that night. It was Christmas Eve, and she wasn't able to spend it with her family. Her eyes filled up a little at the image of her mother, Sota, and her Grandpa sitting around the Christmas tree. She sighed and rubbed her eyes with one hand as she placed the other on the door of the hut. Pulling it away, she entered the single large room.

Kagome's eyes widened with shock. Before her stood, of all things, a Christmas tree. The firelight danced and twinkled in the reflection of the delicate ornaments, the colored paper seem to come alive. She cast her bright gaze to her friends who stood just to the side, beaming at her.

"Oh, guys...!" Her eyes started to well up with happy, unexpected tears. "Thank you!"

She ran and hugged each of them. Shippo starting telling her of how they had come up with the idea, and how they had pulled it off. Kagome's eyes remained bright as he told his story. She looked at the grinning group.

"You guys, this is amazing!" She held out her hands, "But I don't have anything to give you in return..."

Sango, Miroku and Shippo shook their heads and smiled. "You don't have to give us anything Kagome. You have given us a lot already." Miroku spoke for the group.

Shippo looked slyly at her for a moment before announcing that Kaede had asked him to go over some herbs with her, and that she also wanted Miroku and Sango to go as well. This was part of their plan to strengthen the ties between Kagome and InuYasha. Miroku shot InuYasha a 'look' that the hanyou ignored. The hanyou knew what the trio was up to. He didn't believe Shippo for a minute.

Kagome was absolutely overcome by the heartfelt gesture of her friends and therefore didn't notice. Sitting down by the fire, she gazed at the tree. She knew she was incredibly lucky to call these people her friends, and adopted family. A few tears of joy escaped and made their way down her face.

InuYasha unceremoniously flopped next her.

"Why are you crying _now_? We thought this would make you happy."

"I am happy, baka." she answered, flippantly.

"Then why the tears? You're weird. And might I add, I _did_ want a gift this year. You forgot about me." InuYasha made a sorrowful attempt to sound grave. Kagome swatted him.

"Oh, shut up. You know better." She gave him a mischievous glance. She picked off a twig that had grown up through the floorboards, and still had snowberries.

"What's that for?" InuYasha was wary. The last time she looked like that, he had ended up looking like a drowned rat.

"Improvised mistletoe..." She shot back at him, before gently grabbing his osuwari beads and pulling him to kiss her.

Taken back, InuYasha was hesitant at first. Then, as her lips melded to his, he softened and encircled her with his arms. They held each other gently, but as his mouth moved against hers, they both felt a pleasant tautness deep in their bellies. The kiss only lasted a moment, but the warmth and tingling it left lasted much longer.

The sensation gave Kagome delicate shivers, and made her a little nervous. When she pulled away, the impish look still hadn't left her. Before she released her hold on the beads, she gave them a little tug.

"Merry Christmas. Now shut up before I make better use of these."

InuYasha snapped a glare in her direction before she curled into him. They gazed at the fire, his cheek resting against her head.

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Miroku waited until Shippo had disappeared into Kaede's hut. Before Sango could follow the kitsune, he grabbed hold of her wrist. She turned to him with a cagey look glowing in her eyes.

"What...?"

Miroku pulled his hand away, slightly offended. Did he really grope her that much that _everything_ he did made her suspicious?

"Follow me for a moment... I want to show you something." He took her hand again and started to walk towards a secluded area, encircled with small trees, behind the huts. Sango put up a mild resistance.

"Monk, don't think for a moment that just because Kagome says at 'christmas' everyone loves each other that you can get away with your lecherous ways with me."

Miroku dropped her hand again and frowned at her. For a moment, Sango thought that he had actually been hurt by her comment. If he wasn't such a lecher, she would have been sure of it.

"It's nothing like that. I promise. Please? Just trust me." Miroku held out his hand again, this time a look of sincerity graced his features. She placed her hand in his, feeling a little guilty for her words, and followed him as he led her to the nearest tiny clearing.

Once they stopped, the monk turned to face her. Holding both of Sango's hands in his, Miroku took a deep breath.

" Sango... you are a dear friend. I admire you, and am... " He dropped his gaze for a moment, unsure of himself, " quite fond of you. I... I have something for you."

He raised his eyes to hers again before reaching into the folds of his robe. When he withdrew his fist he cupped her hand and dropped the small gift into her palm. When she opened her hand, she saw a small circular stone that was colored with swirls of purple and white. There was a small inscription on either of its two sides. One said 'strength', the other 'beauty'. There was a tiny hole drilled in through the top of the smooth surface, the stone would hang from a length of woven black silk.

"Miroku..." In her disbelief, his name was carried only on her breath.

"I know that you don't wear jewelry. It's probably not something you would really consider. But when I saw it, I immediately thought of you. I had to get it for you."

"No, it's beautiful. Thank you, but I don't deserve such gifts..." Sango blushed, and although she already adored the simple necklace, she went to give it back to him. Taking the strand from her hand, Miroku surprised her by reaching his hands around her shoulders and tying the strands together around her neck. The pendant fell just below the folds for her robes.

"You do, and you should not feel otherwise."

Sango looked up into his adoring amethyst eyes. Her blush deepened when she realized that he had yet to take his hands from around her shoulders. An impulsive thought shot through her mind. Without a second thought, she seized it and followed where it led. Gently taking hold of an edge of the monks robes, Sango stood up on tiptoe and pressed her mouth to his. Miroku paused for a moment, unsure of what he should do. Nervousness settled in Sango's mind for only a fleeting moment, then parted again when his arms shifted to encircle her waist. The embers of a hesitant feeling that she did not yet dare call love started to smolder. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss. Several moments passed as they stood entwined. When the kiss finally broke, both were graced with slightly flushed cheeks and a shortness of breath.

Miroku was ecstatic. He had cared deeply for Sango for a very long time, yet she never seemed to fully return his affections. With, of course, the exception of causing him some form of bodily damage if he happened to make advances on a pretty girl. But he had always figured that was just to keep him in line. Now he knew it was otherwise.

As much as his body wanted to take the beloved woman and show her everything he felt, his heart realized that it was not yet time. He knew that she still had obstacles to overcome, and that she was not yet ready for any proud declarations of love. Gently, as though she were the most delicate flower, for to him she was, he took her hand and led her from their little haven. Their walk back to the hut that Kagome and InuYasha were still in was slow and wordless. Sango was shocked at her own behavior, but was reassured by Miroku's actions. Her hand tightened in a now shy show of affection. Miroku squeezed back and smiled. This was right.

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As the two couples reveled in each other, each in their own blissful worlds, the small cat demon strode unseen out of Kaede's hut. She had followed Shippo and had fallen asleep. Now, something had tickled her nose and disturbed her sleep. Reaching the end of the village, the tiny cat stood and sniffed at the air. She did not transform, but the fur on the back of her neck bristled and she released a small growl. There was a familiar scent carried on the wind. Kirara knew that the source was too far away to be of concern, or even to think that it would come the way of her human companion and her friends. Her feline mind decided to leave it for the moment. She sensed that all was good in the village for now, and there was no real threat. Turning, she saw her human and her friend enter the hut they normally resided in. Trotting, her tiny feet shortened the distance and she entered the dwelling where the humans took their rest. Curling into a small ball next to Sango's neck, Kirara let peaceful sleep overtake her.

If there had been a reason to be concerned, she would have certainly let her human know. For the little feline knew that the presence of the source of the scent would only cause trouble.


	14. Please Forgive Me Part 1

A/N: These 2 chapters were supposed to be 1, but it got really big, really fast. So they share a main Chapter title, and have their own seperate pt 1, pt 2 chapters. Thank you soo much for reading this guys! and thanks to those who have been reviewing! ok, so after this, only 3 more chapters till we're caught up to where I've left off. (going to have to start spacing out the postings). Hope you guys enjoy these!

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_**Part 1**_

_**Bittersweet Betrayal**_

Time passed, winter slowly turning to spring. The heartfelt bonds between the two couples grew. Miroku was exceedingly, and strangely, chivalrous. InuYasha again became patient, even kind in his own coarse, gruff way. The monk and the exterminator had yet to clarify their own relationship with the group, preferring to keep it to themselves for the moment. In fact, since that first kiss on Christmas Eve, they had not shared another moment of such intimacy. Miroku spent his time getting to know the girl who held his heart in her hand, know what she wanted, dreamed of, and how she felt. Sango had never felt more content.

In the meantime, InuYasha held true to his word and soon started lessons with Kagome. Their own relationship had only grown stronger. Several times, Kagome had thought she sensed something else, something familiar in the area. In the back of her mind, she recognized the aura of Kikyo, a dull grey color, only because the tragic soul was not among the living or the dead. However, each time the tiny voice spoke up, she quieted it. Surely, if Kikyo was around, InuYasha would be different, perhaps even leave to see her. At the very least he would mention it to her, she was sure. And so, Kagome continued to ignore the small warning bells that rang in her subconscious.

The clash of steel against steel rang out in the clear air. Kagome wiped the sweat from her brow. Her simple long sword felt heavy and was getting difficult to hold. InuYasha was not putting any strength behind his own sword, but he was by no means going easy on her. It was now late afternoon and they had been practicing since shortly after daybreak. There was a slight chill in the air, not all of the snow had left the ground. This went unnoticed by the girl and the hanyou; she in a simple, snug chocolate colored sleeveless shirt, he without his red haori. Kagome raised her sword again to block InuYasha's oncoming attack as he had taught her. But the weight of the sword was too great as his own blade crashed on hers. She slipped in the slush and mud, her pained and weary arm dropping the now heavy weapon. She tried to catch herself, but fell to one knee, her hands flailing out to brace her.

"Shit! Kagome! Are you ok?"

InuYasha sheathed his Tetseiga and knelt by her side. She cursed as she knelt back in the mud and examined her hands for any scrapes.

Looking up at InuYasha, Kagome read his immediate concern and smiled to calm him. He was always so worried about this, afraid he was going to hurt her. She knew he only delivered a minute amount of weight behind the blade he used. She wasn't even blocking an attack from InuYasha so much as she was blocking the weight of his sword.

"I'm fine, just dirty now." She heaved a sigh, trying to catch her breath. Goosebumps rippled their way up her skin. Now that she wasn't moving, the air seemed a lot colder. She wiped more sweat from her forehead, sufficiently smearing a streak of mud.

"This is a lot harder than I thought. How long have we been working on blocking?" Kagome was serious when she posed the question, but she saw laughter in the half demons eyes, though she couldn't figure out for the life of her why.

He cleared his throat. He counted off the lessons on his fingers "Well, we worked on your footwork, then we tried attack, but you couldn't hold the sword up, so then we had to build your strength until you I could _hold it._ Think we've been working for about a week and a half on blocking." He paused for a moment and tried to hide a smile.

"Of course, you could always go out like that and just scare your enemies to death."

Kagome didn't understand for a moment and just stared. Then she realized what he meant, the dirt. She glared at him playfully. Then she scooped up a handful of slush and mud. InuYasha's eyes widened as he figured out what she meant to do. But he wasn't going to move. She wouldn't dare.

**_SHLOPP!_**

The astonished, and now very muddy, hanyou just stared at her. Kagome had just dumped a pile of muck on the top of his head. Muck that was now dripping off his hair and running in dirty little rivulets down his face. She would pay.

Kagome stood and bolted, her feet sliding in the slippery mud. She had enjoyed the look on InuYasha's face for only a second before she saw the look of vengeance that promised he would get even. She gave a surprised squeal as a pack of the squishy substance plastered into her hair. Laughing, she boldly turned to face the now equally filthy hanyou. She scooped up more of the mud and held her ground.

Amidst roars of laughter that could be heard even on the other side of the village, the mud slinging really started.

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Miroku and Sango sat by the clear stream, talking quietly. Sango listened with interest as Miroku recounted the stories of his childhood. She was so contented here with the monk. He had been so different lately. She was used to him being lecherous, not kind. It was almost as though he was being especially considerate.

They sat close to each other, but not quite touching. After a pause in his story, Miroku reached out to gently take her hand. Sango had been gazing at the placid water. His touch gave her a small start, but she did not draw her hand away. Miroku smiled, pleased. There was a time when even being this close to her would have put the beautiful girl on edge. She turned to him with a shy smile.

"I enjoy you're stories, Miroku." She said.

The monk edged a little closer. "It is easy to talk with someone whose company I take so much pleasure in."

Sango's eyes dropped in bashful embarrassment. Miroku was amazed. This woman was one of the strongest, most fearless people he had ever known. Yet in matters of the heart, she was so uncertain. He leaned closer to her. When Sango raised her eyes again, she met his heavy purple eyes just inches from her face. Her breath caught and her pulse quickened, but she didn't pull away. She watched as his face inched closer to hers.

The sound of someone crashing through the woods and laughing rocked her out of her reverie.

Sango barely had time to steady herself on her feet before a very dirty Kagome slammed into her. Raising her head, Kagome caught Sango's shocked look. The she laughed and whirled behind the older girl as a second voice entered the area. Miroku started to laugh. Kagome had completely smeared Sango with mud. Now both girls stood in front a filthy, vengeful hanyou.

"Sango, help!" Kagome hid behind her friend and tried to suppress a giggle.

InuYasha smirked. "Like she's gonna save ya."

Miroku watched as the half breed advanced on the two chuckling girls. Stepping in between them, halting InuYasha progress, his own smile was spreading as he got a full view of InuYasha, covered head to toe if cold, wet mud.

"Ah, it's almost supper time now, why don't you guys call a truce for the time being and hop in the hot springs?"

InuYasha's stomach rumbled at the mention of supper, and he grinned. He would get her back another day.

Sango and Kagome jumped at the monk from the back. He froze as he felt the cold muck seep into his robes. They wrapped their arms around his neck and planted a dirty kiss on each cheek. They called out their thanks as they rushed to the hot springs, InuYasha heading off to the left, to the spring the men usually made use of.

Miroku watched them leave, incredulous. Kagome and InuYasha had ruined the moment with Sango, but he was sure another would prevent itself. Then he spread out his arms and looked at the gunk that covered his robes. He dropped his arms again, resigned.

_I save them from him and what do I get? Ugh, women._

Miroku dropped his head and followed the path InuYasha had taken.

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The remainder of the evening had been uneventful. The group had enjoyed a meal of fish and the remaining ramen that Kagome had stored. They relaxed after their meal, letting the fire die down to embers before deciding to turn in. Kagome was grateful when her head rested on the pillow. She had been up early and the workout she had received from practice, as well as the mud fight, had exhausted her. She felt the length of InuYasha's thigh against her back. Though he still slept in a sitting position, he had long ago moved from his corner on the far side of the hut, to sitting next to her. He had developed the habit of bracing his back against the wall, his folded leg towards her. Soon she had come into her own habit of moving close enough so that her back pressed up again him. There had never been a question about it, never a concern. Both enjoyed the contact, taking comfort in the knowing that their loved one was just there, within arms reach.

As the two slipped into sleep, Miroku looked on, only a little jealous. He hoped he and Sango would reach that level in their relationship. He turned his eyes to the girl who slept on the other side of the fire. He smiled. She was softening towards him, and he had noticed the two strands of the black silk poking up, barely visible on the back of her own kimono. She hadn't removed the pendant since he had given it to her. The monk closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him. He loved her, he would wait. Hopefully, in time, she would love him. For now, he could only dream.

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Kagome awoke late in the night feeling as though something was off. She shifted to press her back against InuYasha. It usually made her feel better. However, this time, there was nothing to press against. Kagome looked behind her, confused. Where was InuYasha? He hadn't ever left during the night like this before. She looked at the door. An uneasy feeling crawled through her and settled in her stomach. Something was wrong. She shifted Shippo to lie next to Sango and rose. She had fallen asleep still wearing her dark blue jeans and black pullover. While the air was cool, she didn't feel it was necessary to bring a jacket. She wouldn't be gone that long. Pulling on a pair of sneakers, she walked out into the night to find the hanyou she loved.

-------------------------- ----------------------------- -----------------------

InuYasha stepped cautiously. The scent he had been following was familiar, and long ago had been able to quicken his blood. Now he was wary. He had caught wisps of the scent for a while now, but it seemed to only be in passing. He hadn't sought out the source because of what he now had with Kagome. He did not wish to hurt her. But tonight. Tonight had been different.

_Her scent is so strong now._

He had to go and see her. Had to see the woman who had been his first love. He told himself that this would be the last time, that he would tell her that he was letting her go, that he was moving on. He felt this was true in his heart. He didn't feel the same rush that he used to. Still somewhere, unbeknownst to him (or perhaps he just ignored it) a small thrill was running its course.

InuYasha followed the scent to the God tree. He stopped in front of the great trunk and cast his gaze around. The scent was definitely its strongest right here. Where was she? He spun when he heard a twig snap behind him. He caught his breath and closed his hands into loose fists. The source of the scent that had called out to him, had beckoned him to come.

"Kikyo."

The undead priestess looked at him with somber eyes. He saw the pain and was awash with guilt. If it hadn't been for him, she would be safe, at peace. Her every movement was graceful as she strode toward him. InuYasha didn't even notice the tainted soul collector hiding amongst the sprouting foliage.

Kikyo was weak. The Master's collector had kept her barely alive. She was left with no choice but to deceive the hanyou and his woman if she wanted to live. Not that she cared about them. She wasn't a pawn to be moved and used at someone's will. The resentment she felt towards the powerful youkai that held her captive rose like bile in her throat. In her drained state, she stumbled as she closed the distance between her and the once beloved half demon. She reached out her hands and let out a small cry. InuYasha hurried to her and caught the miko before she came to harm. She clung to his haori. Kikyo was able to stand, but without the hanyou's support, she would fall.

InuYasha cradled her as they straightened and stood. Kikyo felt old, strange emotions rising. Feelings that she had thought were long passed and buried were starting to peek out. She stood and looked into amber eyes. Eyes that she had loved. Eyes that belonged to the man that she had loved, and who had loved her in return.

InuYasha sensed Kikyo's weakness. His concern swept over him, the feelings that he had for the woman, deep-rooted in past memories, started to stir. She had been the first to invite him to stay with her, despite his appearance and capabilities. She had cared for him, and he for her. When the priestess curled her head into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist, he returned the embrace without hesitation.

"Kikyo... What's wrong? I'm here if you need me." Even as he said the words, his heart felt a guilty pang, though he could not think of why. His hand stroked through her ebony hair. The feeling was familiar and pleasant. If only he could ease her pain. Give her peace and rest for her troubled soul.

"I am all right InuYasha. Just hold me, please. A little longer." She was weary, but she knew that she would have to drive a wedge between her old lover and the girl. An ember of jealousy glowered for a moment, only to be quickly extinguished by her now cold and calculating mind. The miko would do what she had to remain in existence. To exact her revenge.

She lifted her brown-black eyes to his of yellow gold. A memory of long ago brought a sensation she should not have been capable of feeling. She applied pressure with her cool hands to the center of his back. Tilting her chin, she pressed her lips to his. Her mouth implored his to respond. Another twinge tightened around his heart before InuYasha lost thought and answered her plea. The well-known touch filled his senses and he tightened his embrace. Despite the calm he felt, his heart that once would have absorbed every touch, every image and committed it to memory rebelled. He broke the kiss and looked down at the woman he held in his arms. In his fervor the edge of her robe had slipped, exposing an unnaturally white shoulder. When he lifted his eyes, instead of Kikyo, Kagome's face filled his vision. A cold, dreadful feeling touched him and seemed to settle in his very soul_. No... This is wrong._

Kikyo saw the look in InuYasha's eyes, sensed his hesitation. Fixing her robe, she pulled back a little. Then she heard it. InuYasha's ear twitched as he also registered the small, almost unnoticeable whisper of leaves. He fixed his eyes behind Kikyo and saw her.

The sable eyes were the window to her heart that was now broken. And yet, where there should have been surprise there was none. The icy feeling that had crawled into him dug in with talons. Not looking at the undead miko, he released himself from her and walked towards the girl in the shadows.

"Kagome..." He reached out to her.

Before she turned to flee a barely discernable gasp of breath escaped her mouth, yet it seemed to pound in InuYasha's ears. He started to quicken his step to catch her, then remembered he had left another still standing in the clearing. InuYasha turned, only to see Kikyo rising into the clouds with the assistance of her shikigami.

"I have no need of you." Her words were hard, cold and deliberately cruel.

InuYasha was confused. Why was Kikyo this way? The noise of Kagome quickly increasing the distance between them demanded his attention. He turned and headed for the girl, knowing, and yet not knowing, what he had done.

Kikyo watched his retreating back. She would have to return to the stone fortress. She had done the best should could to drive the couple apart. Now that hated youkai could remove the cursed soul collector, although she doubted that he would hand over the jewel shards. A sadness swept over her as she recalled the look in the hanyou's eyes as he had held her. And then the emotions that had swept through him when he had seen the other girl. Her reincarnation.

_InuYasha, you cling to wraith of a feeling and call it love, fleshing it out with long-dead memories. I am not a woman, but a creature of clay and bone. Do you not see what is in front of you? Have you truly become so unable to realize what true love is?_

A new feeling, one that she was unfamiliar with since being brought back from the dead came upon her. So strange was it, she had to take a moment to analyze it and give it a name. Her dead-brown eyes widened slightly when she realized what it was. Guilt.


	15. Please Forgive Me Part 2

_** P**_**_art 2_**  
_** Forever Yours**_

Kagome had exited the hut only to find that InuYasha was nowhere in sight. She had a strange feeling. A bad one at that. Although she had not done it since the night she had made her decision to stay in the feudal era, Kagome automatically searched for InuYasha's aura. The familiar red and gold came into hazy view. Kagome's heart settled for a moment. He wasn't far, just at the God tree. Perhaps something had been bothering him. She set out to reach the tree and make sure he was all right.

She had sensed it before she had actually seen it. The presence that she had foolishly tried to ignore. Even as her mind conjured the image she was sure to find, her heart begged her to stop, to think of something else, to push forward and prove to herself that InuYasha was really just sitting in the God tree, looking perturbed. Not with someone else. Not standing next to an undead woman from his past. Not embracing Kikyo.

Her pace slowed as she came upon them. Her breaths came in short gasps as she tried to keep quiet. As much as her feet wanted to run in the other direction, her eyes remained fixed on the two figures in the clearing. From the shadows, she watched as the one who came before her stumbled. Watched as the one she had given her heart to held the other woman, stroked her hair, told her he would always be there. Each action, every word was like a searing blade into her chest. Just when she thought that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't what she had thought and she was overreacting, just as she was trying to tell herself it wasn't a resurfacing of the feelings she thought InuYasha had let go of for Kikyo, he kissed her. It was a deep, thorough kiss that made Kagome think of when he had kissed her own lips. Then he had raised his head and looked at the undead miko with eyes full of love and adoration.

Kagome could take no more. She pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the shuddering gasp that signaled tears. She had to move away, to get away. Now she was walking stiffly through the forest, not paying attention to her surroundings. Her vision was bright and blurred with unshed tears. Her chest slowly heaved as she tried to control the gasping sobs that wanted to be release.

_I will not... I can't ... no more..._

She wrapped her arms around her body and tried to blink back the tears. She should have known better. She had lost her head, and her heart. Now what would she do? The one man she wanted to have by her side would never have room in his heart for her. A painful, strangled sob escaped her. Bringing her fist to her eyes, she savagely brushed away the tears that fell. She felt hollow. Her battered and broken heart beyond repair. Waves of despair and dejection crashed over her. Cries tried to claw their way out of her again as her miserable tears threatened to spill over.

She froze when she felt a clawed hand on her arm. The pieces of her heart started. Just as quickly, she crushed them with the replaying of the scene she had just witnessed. She turned to face him, only to look into his own crushed gaze.

"Kagome... I... I'm sorry..." His eyes begged her, pleaded.

Her own words were just above a whisper, her throat too strained for anything else.

"I know..."

"I never meant for it to happen. I -" Kagome cut him off with a raised hand. Tears were imminent again. His whole body ached at hearing her voice, swollen with tears caused by him

"Please don't InuYasha. I... I can't do this. I know you're sorry, I know you don't mean to... But things will never change. I know you feel something for me; at least, I would like to think so. But not what you feel for her. Never what you feel for her..." Kagome's voice hitched thorough her words. Her throat ached where she made every attempt to not let the choking sobs overtake her.

InuYasha attempted to interject, but she refused him. Inside, he was panicking. Kagome didn't sound angry. She was hurt horribly,... and defeated. It was the defeat that alarmed him. She continued in a painful whisper, but dropped her eyes, unable to hold his gaze.

"I've tried to let it go. To be ok with it..." She shook her head and smiled sadly, tearfully into the darkness. "but I can't. I love you InuYasha. I'm afraid I always will. But I can't be second best anymore. I can't keep competing with Kikyo for your heart." She raised her sorrowful eyes to his again.

"I can't fight against memories. I can't win over ghosts."

InuYasha swallowed hard. The cold feeling he had before reached his extremities, freezing his fingers. He felt numb. Kagome was letting him go. He could feel it and it terrified him. She was turning her heart away from him. He reached out to her again, panic in his eyes.

"Kagome..." Pain stabbed his heart when she took a step back, holding her arms tighter against her body. Protecting herself from him.

"Please don't touch me."

The finality of those words struck InuYasha hard. He reached out the rest of the way and grabbed hold of her wrist.

"Kagome, you have to understand." Although his words were gentle, they sent a subtle blaze of anger through her. She closed her eyes and pulled back her hand. Would he understand nothing but anger?

"Understand? I have been understanding InuYasha. I have given up my friends, my family, my _life_ for you." Her voice was now rising in anger. His eyes shot to the jewel shard around her neck, lying next to the amulet that shone with life. Following his eyes, she grabbed hold of the Shikon no Tama and snapped the chain from her neck.

"I don't care about this stupid jewel! If it was gone tomorrow I would still want to be here. With you. I have waited, and tried to be understanding about your past. About Kikyo." Her eyes flashed in pain and anger. Her voice shook, on the verge of painful tears. InuYasha was speechless." I have let you take my heart and break it a thousand times over, then still stay by your side, only for you to betray me again."

Her anger temporarily spent, her tone dropped to sad resignation again.

"I believed you when you told me loved me. I shouldn't have. You don't love me. Not truly."

InuYasha was breathless from her words. They struck him like blows, lashing through his flesh and leaving their mark on his heart and soul. He tried again. She had to know he loved her, that he would never forsake her.

"Kagome, please..!"

Anger finally overcame her and she lashed out to the one who had hurt her so, tears finally falling.

"Please? Please what? Please understand? Please forgive you? I have done that! I have been understanding, I have forgiven you each and every time InuYasha! How can you ask more of me?" She paused for only a moment.

"And say I did move past this again. What then? If our relationship continues, will I have to understand and forgive you when you go see her again? Will I have to understand and forgive when you leave in the middle of the night? Should I understand that I would only be the one to warm your bed while she's not here, that you'll chase after her again like dog after a bitch in heat when she decides to float in? Should I forgive you for it? If our 'relationship' should continue, will I just understand and forgive until I don't give a damn anymore?" She spat the words out like venom.

InuYasha looked into her anger eyes that now streamed tears. He had no words for her. He expected hatred to come from her, but could find non in her countenance. Only pain and sadness. He hated himself for being the cause of it, and for not being able to fix it. Gods, he had caused her so much pain.

"Tell me InuYasha. When you look at me, when you kiss me or hold me... who do you see? Me? Or Kikyo?"

The question had come unexpectedly. InuYasha lifted his eyes. She wasn't looking at him anymore. Kagome was staring off into the trees again, holding one arm. She was crying, but making no sound. The tears simply slipped from her eyes and traced their way down her face. She turned her pain-filled eyes to him again. She was angry, but it no longer showed in her face, or her voice. The resignation in her countenance was like a slap in the face. Kikyo was frequently in the back of his mind, but when he was with Kagome, he was happy. And then in the clearing, when he had looked at the priestess, it was Kagome's visage that had filled his vision. There was no right way to answer her question, so he looked away from her imploring eyes.

"Yeah, I'd probably have a hard time looking at me too." Her words were dead, no longer holding any fight. InuYasha's heart wrenched inside him. It was as though he had broken her very spirit.

She started to move away from him.

"I have to go. This is tearing me apart, but I won't stay. I can't."

Even saying the phrase was killing her. Gasps escaped through her words as she continued to suppress her cries. She was ending it, and it hurt more than anything ever had before. But she had no choice; it felt as though the whole situation would sooner or later destroy her.

She turned her back and walked away. "Please... don't come for me. Don't follow me."

She heard his steps as they closed in on her, sensed his hand as it reached out to clasp her own.

"InuYasha."

The half demon froze his fingers just inches from hers. His own spirit lifted for a moment. She would 'sit' him, just like before, and things would be back to normal.

"Don't."

Kagome continued walking away. Her steps quickened slightly, as though she couldn't leave his presence fast enough. InuYasha's hand dropped to his side. As he watched her retreating back, the cold feeling vanished, and left him feeling dead inside. He had pushed her beyond her limits. Had been ignorant to her own feelings, and now he was left without the most important thing to him. He knew that he could not chase her. The finality of her words had stuck to his heart like painful barbs, just as they had left from hers, torn and bleeding. Numb and empty, he began his slow walk back to the hut.

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The happy chatter stopped when the hanyou entered the hut. They had all woken shortly after Kagome had left to find InuYasha. Miroku had prevented the other two from going in search for them, sure that the two had left for a 'tryst', as such. The look on the half demons face banished any thought of that.

Shippo approached him hesitantly. "InuYasha?"

His words were thick. "Kagome's gone. She's left."

Miroku took a step forward. "What do you mean she's gone? What happened?"

"I ... Kikyo was in the area. I left to find her. Kagome saw us... together." Keeping his head low, InuYasha let his words hang in the air, the implications evident to all.

He braced himself for the fist he was sure would come from the monk. Shock and pain swept his mind as an unexpected blow struck him from the left and snapped his head to the right. He brought his eyes to Sango's. Her hand stung from striking him, knuckles white and starting to swell. She was sure she might have broken something. Her furious gaze bored into him.

"You heartless bastard!" she hissed.

She recalled Kagome's enlightened face as they had sat in the hot springs. How happy, how in love she was. The girl would have died for the unfeeling prick that now stood before Sango. She raised her arm to strike him again, fury controlling her actions.

She felt a hand take hold of her wrist. She lifted her rage-filled gaze to Miroku.

"Stop. We have to find Kagome." Miroku's eyes were on InuYasha, portraying angry disappointment. InuYasha met his gaze, but found no sympathy there for him.

"She would have gone home."

Shippo snarled at the older demon as he prepared with the others to leave.

"The well has been sealed you ass. It happened when Nioaku attacked you. She gave up her world to stay with you."

The trio exited the hut, leaving InuYasha standing there stupefied. She had forsaken her own home for him? If he had thought that he was unable to feel any worse, he was wrong. Horribly wrong. They had to find Kagome.

------------------------ ------------------------ -------------------------

Kagome forced herself to walk slowly, trying to regain control of her flying emotions. It was futile. The second she was sure she was out of InuYasha's sight, she ran. She didn't know where, and she didn't know for how long, but her feet flew. Branches tore at her clothes and whipped her face, leaving bloody scratches. Those that she couldn't run through, she shoved out of the way. Heaving sobs rose soundlessly out of her chest. Her only thought was getting away. Away from the God tree. Away from her pain. Away from InuYasha.

She collapsed to her knees when she felt she could run no more. The wind had long dried her tears, and her painful gasps were the result of her running. The searing pain still filled her and her mind whirled for a way to escape.

_The well..._

Her mind seized the thought. She could go down the well and leave this behind forever. She picked herself up and started to run again, this time for the now dear portal back to her time. She would get into her own world, then toss the shards back through the well. She would never have to come back. Kagome dreaded the idea of not seeing everyone again, but a small voice told her it was the only way for her to heal. There was something else as well... something that she was forgetting almost.

She remembered as she closed in on the lump of enchanted wood and stone that had once been the Bone-Eater's well.

"No." The pained word was a whisper.

Panic rose in her again. She had forgotten. The well had been sealed. She had chosen to stay in the Feudal Era. To stay with InuYasha. Her mind spun in despair and she ran frantically towards it. She cried out again as she conjured an energy orb.

"NO!" She released the blast in what she knew to be a vain attempt to destroy the twisted stone.

Her pace didn't falter until she stood at its side. Crumpling against the well, she slammed her fist against the solid seal, crying out and cursing.

"NO! DAMNIT! I want to go home!"

Her tears that had been stopped from her run crashed through her again with a hysterical speed. The gulping, gasping sobs that she had held back for so long pulled up and out of her and into the night air. She raised her hands to her face as her own pitiful cries filled the air. Kagome's anguish tore itself from the bottom of her destroyed heart, from the very depths of her betrayed soul.

Her tears, her heartache wrenched themselves free until she felt she had no more tears left. She laid her head against the lip of the well. Her face was swollen from her weeping; the blood from her scratches had dried and flaked away. In exhausted realization, she knew that she still loved him, could never stop loving him. He was the one her heart and soul had chosen. Even now, the shattered pieces of her heart were attempting to pull back together, praying he would come for her. Her mind rebelled and cried out. Why must she torture herself? Why couldn't she just let it go?

The trees whispered with the night wind and a sound caught in her ear. A footstep fell behind her. As she turned her head, her treacherously hopeful heart leapt up. Its wish resounded in her mind.

_InuYasha...?_

_--------------------------- ---------------------------- -------------------------- _

The monk, kitsune and exterminator walked ahead of him. They refused to talk to him. He could smell the anger from them, but did not resent them for it. He was the heartless bastard that Sango had called him. They had only acknowledged him when he had scented Kagome, who had circled around and headed back to the well. They were heading there now, hoping she had not left the area.

They approached the clearing and found it empty. A sharp odor permeated the air. Shippo sniffed.

"Smells like... burnt stuff."

The group searched the area, but could not find their companion; it soon became evident what had occurred.

"She was here, but she left again. And she used her fire to burn away any trace of her scent so we couldn't track her."

InuYasha's words hung heavy in the air as the reality and gravity of the situation descended upon him. He had never felt such utter disgust at himself.

"Guys, over here." Miroku's voice called from a nearby tree. The group gathered near to see what he had found. There, at eye level on the trunk of the closest tree was an inscription. InuYasha knew who had left it. The markings were the only things that carried her scent. The written words seemed to carry her voice. The imagined sound of those five simple lines pummeled his ears.

_"Please forgive me, I have to leave._

_I am safe, do not worry._

_I love you all._

_Forever yours,_

_Kagome."_

_ - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _

A/N: So, good? Bad? Ugly? lol. hope you liked it, please leave comments or constructive criticism, it is appreciated! See you soon and thanks again! TTFN!_  
_


	16. Alone ?

A/N: These next 2 chapters are essentially the aftermath of Kagome's leaving.  
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The young female demon walked into the small cave that parted from the larger cavern. Looking down at the sleeping human, she laid the morning's breakfast next to the bed. This other woman should have been her rival by rights, but after yesterday, she had known better. The dearest to her own heart had brought the girl back to the den. He had designated her to watch over the human. The morning after she had realized why. The young human was absolutely distraught. Her tender heart had been broken. Unsure of what to do, the wolf demon had wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl and did her best to comfort her. A tentative liking for each other had started to grow. The demon was starting to leave when she heard a small noise. The girl was starting to wake.

Kagome stretched on her bed of straw. The cave she had been brought to was warm, and surprisingly comfortable. It was her second day here, now that the morning sun was reaching its faint light into the smaller cavern where she slept. She looked to the side and saw she was being watched.

"Ayame. Hi." She gave a small smile.

Ayame turned in and knelt by the girl for a moment. She could see her face was still slightly puffy from crying. Ayame sympathized. How often was it that she had cried over Koga? Part of her felt that she should resent Kagome. In fact, a large part of her had, until Koga had brought the girl home. Then she had realized that Kagome was cursed in almost the same fashion she was, and also that Kagome did not share Koga's feelings for her.

"How are you feeling?"

Kagome looked down. She felt tired, the bone-weary feeling that always follows such emotional tears. She lifted heavy lids to Ayame. She was glad the demon girl was there. In her, she had found an unlikely ally. Ayame had comforted her as a friend, despite the fact that Koga had returned with her.

"I'm better. I'll be up in a minute. I would like to go for a walk, will you come with me?"

Ayame nodded and rose. She left Kagome to get ready. The clothes that the girl had arrived in were soiled from her run in the woods and had since been mended and put away. Kagome had needed clothes for the time being, and Ayame had given her some items that she could use.

Kagome smiled to herself. Ayame exited the smaller room and Kagome rose to put on the outfit of slight armor and skins that the other woman had lent her. Brown leather leggings fitted snugly against her legs, ending in mid-calf, around her waist was a wrap of soft yet durable coyote fur, it was perhaps the length of a mini-skirt, ending at the tops of her thighs and tied at the side. Her shirt was made of deerskin and sleeveless showing about two inches of flesh above her belly button, with brown thong lacing to tie up at the neckline. The final article was a short vest of the same fur as her wrap. She slowly wiped the sleep from her eyes as she recalled the past couple of days, from the night she had found InuYasha and Kikyo.

------------------Flashback----------------

The tears she had wept had finally dried. She heard a footstep behind her and had immediately thought it was InuYasha. When she turned her head, she found her initial assumption had been completely wrong.

"Kagome... what's wrong? Why are you crying?" The concerned voice was gruff, but welcome and familiar.

"Koga... What are you doing here." she dodged his question with her own question.

Koga held out his hand to help her up. She took it, trying to hide her tear-stained face and red eyes. Koga was concerned, and unsure of himself. Kagome assumed it was due to her current state.

"I was in the area, I came to visit. Why are you crying, Kagome? Did that mutt do something?" His last question was marked with a growl.

Kagome shook her head. It would do no good to have Koga angry with InuYasha. Her mind was so weary; she didn't think she would even be able to do anything about it.

"Nothing... I don't wanna talk about it right now." Kagome averted her eyes to the right and sighed. Her next words came out in a whisper, almost to herself. "I just need to get away for a while."

She felt his hand on his arm, read the concern in his eyes. He didn't know what had happened, but he made it clear he was willing to help and be there for her. He had offered to take her back to his den, to stay with his tribe, if she liked. He was well beyond forcing her hand in anything. For a long time now, he was less pushy with Kagome, willing to accept that she thought of him as a friend. Kagome considered his offer, then her other options. She took the proffered hand and accepted the idea. Before they left, Kagome searched for a way to leave a message to her friends. Koga had offered his own claws to carve it into a nearby tree.

After carving the message into the tree, Koga was ready to leave but Kagome had stopped him again. She knew that her companions would attempt to find her, and that InuYasha would be able to scent her. Her heart lurched at the idea of facing him again. How would she wipe the place of hers and Koga's scent? She remembered how she had traced the poison from Nioaku's arrows in InuYasha's body. Would it work the same way? She decided to give it a try.

After putting some fair distance between themselves and the clearing of the well, Kagome closed her eyes, seeing her scent marks as blue, Koga's as an earthy brown. She felt the power slowly ripple through her, down her arms and out her extended fingertips. She imagined her powers following their traces back to the clearing, around the area, burning the scents away. She only altered it when the power reached her carved message. There, she only removed Koga's scent.

When she opened her eyes, Koga was staring at her.

"How the hell did you do that? You just wiped out our scent, but there's no destruction."

Kagome shrugged. She felt it would be safer to keep the history of her blood a secret for now. Instead she had explained it as new miko spells Kaede had taught her. Koga had accepted it, almost distrustfully, and they had left.

----------------End Flashback--------------

Kagome walked out of the den and into the bright morning light. She slipped her hand into a small pocket she had found on the waist of her fur wrap. Her hand slipped around the jewel. She had forgotten about it for a short time, but the chain had remained wrapped tightly around her fist. She wasn't sure how to repair the necklace; it was much safer around her neck. She would have to find a way soon. She couldn't afford to lose the almost complete jewel.

"Kagome! Are you ready?" Ayame approached the musing girl.

"Do you like the boots?" Ayame admired her handiwork. The wolf tribe didn't have much use for a lot of footwear, but she knew the human couldn't walk around like the demons did. Ayame felt an odd desire to become friends with Kagome, despite the jealous little voice in the back of her head that told her the other girl was a rival. She was finding that the voice was getting smaller. And so, she had attempted to make some sort of footwear for her new friend. It was difficult, but the women of the tribe were in charge of making clothing. Ayame followed the pattern of Kagome's shoes as best she could and thought she did quite well.

Kagome looked down at her feet encased in soft deerskin boots.

"They're great, thank you." Kagome looked up again and smiled.

The girls were attempting to start on their walk when Koga came running up.

"Kagome! How are you? I was wondering when you would be back up again."

Kagome smiled at the generous wolf demon. She liked him, how could she not? The moment she had needed help, he was there to offer it. Her feelings towards him were only of friendship, though he wished it were otherwise. Still, she valued him and his tribe as comrades. Her thoughts were halted when she had noticed Ayame tensed next to her.

"I'm well Koga, thank you. Me and Ayame were just going for a walk."

"Great. I'll walk with you. Ayame, you're a great fighter, but you never know when a demon will come after Kagome and her jewel shards, so I should be with you, just in case."

Kagome inwardly cringed. She had made it clear to Koga that she didn't return his feelings on several occasions. Though he didn't treat her as his own personal possession anymore, it didn't stop him from making known he wanted it otherwise. It didn't help that Kagome knew of Ayame's feelings for the young wolf lord.

Kagome lagged behind as they started their walk, watching Ayame who kept sad, adoring eyes on Koga, and Koga who walked ahead, oblivious.

A thought struck Kagome. She was sure Koga had some feelings for Ayame... he would have to. He had asked for the female demon's hand long before Kagome had come around. Her mischievous mind started to churn once again. All the two really needed was some time alone, without Kagome. Just a little push in the right direction.

"Hey! Kagome! Watcha walkin so far behind for?" Koga called over his shoulder.

Kagome rushed to catch up, grabbing Ayame as she went. When they caught up with the young male demon, Kagome purposefully placed Ayame between her and Koga. There were a few attempts at conversation, and they hadn't gone over well. Kagome never thought she could hear a conversation be mangled, but somehow, these two managed it. This would take a bit more work.

The mortal started to plot her match-making plan. It kept her contented, as well as freed her from dwelling on her own troubles of the heart.

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InuYasha walked alone. He didn't know where he was going, and he wasn't even sure when he would stop, but he knew he wouldn't be at the village for a long time. Kagome had now been gone about a week and a half. Miroku and Kaede spoke to him, but in cold dismissive tones. The only time he had seen Miroku truly angry was the day after they had found Kagome's note. The normally passive monk was vicious, causing the same explosive blows with his words that Sango had with her fist.

Remembering the exterminator, InuYasha flinched again. Sango was probably the worst of the four. She and Shippo had not spoken to him since Sango had struck him, in fact, barely even looked at him, unless he accidentally came into their line of vision. The exception had been the day before yesterday. The hanyou had attempted to talk with Sango regarding Kagome, but it was of no use. Both tempers soon flared, and Sango's fury over what he had done, again, finally reached its boundaries. She had grabbed Hiraikotsu and swung it, catching him in the middle, lifting him up and sent him flying through the air. He was lucky she hadn't actually thrown it at him. After that she had turned and left. A short time later, he had told Kaede that he would be leaving for a while, and that he wasn't sure how long. He hadn't looked back at the village since.

His heart still ached, his soul still felt like something was missing. Again he cursed himself. Why could he not do what he always did? The one thing that that could hurt Kagome, and he found it and exploited it. Why was something so simple, so hard? His self abrasive thoughts were interrupted by another. The jewel shards. He was pretty sure Kagome still had them, he hadn't found them lying around somewhere. But there were still many to be found, and he had no hope of getting them without her. He didn't even really want to search for them. It had always been a reason to be with Kagome, what tied them to together. That had changed now.

And then there was the well. Kagome hadn't told him about it, yet the others had known. He had been to angry at himself to truly consider the fox-demons words at the time but now that he was by himself, InuYasha had plenty of time to think. Why had Kagome not told him? He knew the answer before the thought had fully formed. _Because she didn't want to upset you or make you angry, fucking baka._ Self-disgust rose in him again. Kagome was forever mindful of things that truly bothered him. She knew he would have felt guilty over being the reason she stayed. And he did, even more so now. He didn't deserve her kind of loyalty, her love. Would anyone else have been so patient with him? So understanding? Gods, he was an asshole. Now it was his fault that Kagome could never return to her own era. She was forced to remain here.

InuYasha sighed. It was getting late and he had walked far. As he perched himself in a nearby tree, he looked into the star-filled sky. He wondered where she was tonight. Wondered if she knew how sorry he was, how much he loved her. In that moment, part of him said he would have renounced Kikyo a thousand times if Kagome would return to him. Pain struck a chord in him again. Another part refused to release the memory of the miko, holding to the knowledge that he was reason she had died. InuYasha closed his eyes tightly. He had failed Kikyo years ago, and in his unending attempt to amend his actions, he failed the trust and love Kagome had always offered him. His eyes stung.

_Just like old times now... alone again._

_---------------------- ------------------------------- -------------------------- _

Sango was rustling around in the hut. Miroku stood outside listening to her mutter and curse as she seemingly searched for some utensil. She was cooking tonight. He entered the shack and offered to help her.

"No thank you, I'm fine." Her response was abrupt.

Miroku sat down and leaned against the wall. "I'm sure Kagome is ok. If there was any risk of danger, InuYasha would have been after her long ago."

It was the wrong thing to say. Sango whirled on him, eyes flashing. Miroku quickly raised his hands to fend off her anger.

"I'm not saying I'm on his side in this, I'm just stating the obvious. If she was in any real danger, you and I both know he would have taken after her the minute he read that message."

Sango sighed. He was right. She hated it when he was right. Sitting down next to him, she propped her arms up on her raised knees.

"I know. I just hate what he's doing to her. And now, I don't even know where she is. I can't be sure she's ok."

Miroku wrapped an arm around her companionably. "I know. I'm worried about her too. But I trust that she is safe, and that she will return to us soon. I am also worried about you, Sango."

Sango rested her head on the monks shoulder. She had become more and more comfortable with him. He was becoming her confident and had listened to her vent. When he squeezed her around the shoulders, she wrapped her opposite arm around his waist and hugged him back. She had to trust in Kagome's decision.

Miroku leaned down, meaning to give her a comforting kiss on the forehead. Sango chose to raise her head at the same time. By matter of coincidence, their lips met. Both paused for a moment, unsure of what to do. This was an awfully awkward time for passion. Their minds were quickly overcome by their instincts. The tension had been building within them. It had been originally created with their attraction to each other, Sango's increasing more so. The comfort each now sought in the other only heightened it. Sango closed her eyes and softened against the monk as his mouth pressed against hers. The kiss wasn't the kind of heated passion, but one of trust and reassurance, the soft gentle touch of giving and receiving. As he dropped sweet tender kisses on her top and bottom lip, Sango felt as though the houshi could kiss her troubles away. Miroku felt the girl relax in his embrace. He had wanted her to know that he would always be there to comfort her and hold her, but could not find the right way to say it. He had chosen to use his lips in another way. Although he always felt a small burn of desire for Sango, he did not feel the need to pursue his own yearnings and broke the compassionate bond.

Sango had leaned forward, almost into his lap. Wordlessly, with the comfort of one who had been in a close relationship for years, she slid herself further into his open arms. Sango sat in-between Miroku's spread legs, and leaned her head back, turning so that her cheek pressed against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat. Miroku laid his staff next to him and wrapped his arms around the taijiya. They sat like that for some time, wondering if there would ever be a time that they could all be happy.

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The demon master looked on in his scrying pool. He had watched the misery of the wretched hanyou with pleasure. It wasn't the exact way he had wanted to be rid of the revolting creature, but it would have to do. In fact, the youkai was a little concerned. Before the ties between the human girl and the half-breed had been broken by the undead miko, he had been unable to reach her mind. From the time that she had shown the mutt her amulet, to the time she had seen the hanyou and the priestess together, the girl's mind had been completely unattainable. It suggested something the youkai was not comfortable with. Therefore, the farther away the two were from each other the better.

The water rippled as the image changed from the tortured half-breed to two other humans embracing. The youkai recognized them as friends of the girl. He noted the concern they had for the young woman, and the affection they had for each other. It might come in handy later. The image rippled again as it reformed to the picture he truly wanted to see. Kagome. He had realized her name and it warmed his cold veins with delicious delight. He watched on as she walked behind a couple of wolf demons. The young girl was cunning, he could tell. She had successfully prevented the half-breed from following her by using powers that she didn't fully understand. Now she was trying to help some new friends. It was almost cute the way she was directing the male demons obvious affection away from herself and onto the pretty female demon that walked with them. Pity she was using it for such benevolent means. He could think of much better things that her sharp mind could make use of.

He smiled a chilling smile. He could reach her now. That half-breed dog demon couldn't protect her, and neither could her friends. This wolf demon she was staying with now was cocky, much like the mutt had been. But this one didn't have the power as did the silverhaired hanyou, the power that kept her mind free of him. The youkai's smooth, handsome features were deceivingly lightened with a teeth baring grin. He knew how to get to her. He would let her believe she was safe. Then... then she would be his.


	17. Divided Again, Her Retreat

Kagome knelt in the grass by the stream. In her mind she chanted her meditation that Kaede had taught her, then proceeded to create an energy orb. She kept herself calm as she slowly increased its size and intensity, until she felt the strain of the amulet hold her back. She let the orb dissipate between her hands. She smiled, pleased with herself. She was continuing to improve on her control. The smile soon faded though. She missed Kaede, and the others. She often wondered about them. Was Shippo ok? Was Sango angry? Kagome almost missed the familiar sound of Sango slapping Miroku. She laughed to herself as a memory of the grinning monk floated into her mind. The smile slowly faded as another face replaced that of the houshi. InuYasha. Kagome sighed.

She missed him, though she didn't like to admit it. She knew others would think she should probably hate him, or at least not want to see him, to touch and hug him as much as she did. The girl couldn't help but wonder if the hanyou was thinking of her at all. Her better judgment dragged her heart and mind from the temptation of sitting there and analyzing each memory, making all of them, even the most painful, fresh. She deeply regretted the hateful words she had said to him, but she had known no other way to make him stop trying to apologize. Every time he did, it was like she was sucked in and she found herself right back to the same place, somewhere between lifting hope and heart-wrenching resignation. Some of the things she said had been true. She did believe that he cared for her, and not just in friendship. But it was hard to believe that there was much truth to the love he said he felt. A broken hearted but naively optimistic girl inside her cried out. It was the same voice that always brought her back to InuYasha, despite any betrayal. _Maybe he wants to love you, and he's just not there yet! That's something isn't it?_ Kagome closed her eyes and shut the voice out. The new, stronger Kagome was firm. _ It used to be, but it's not anymore._

A rustle in the bushes to her left caught her ear and she turned to see a young doe casually, gracefully walking to the edge of the small clearing. The gentle beast raised its head to eye the girl, then with a flick of long legs it turned and sped off, the white tail waiving. Kagome smiled.

She had been lucky to find this secluded little grove to practice and meditate in. And even luckier to find it without Koga interfering. But she missed practicing with Kaede; she longed to hear the woman's words of guidance and comfort. It had been just over a month since she had left with Koga. Winter had passed and spring was in full bloom.

Standing, Kagome started to straighten her haori out of habit, but stopped when her fingers touched the soft fur. She didn't have her training haori, just the clothes that Ayame had given her. Though she was missing her other friends greatly, she smiled as she thought about the young female wolf demon.

As she walked back to the den, Kagome contemplated her friendship with Ayame, as well as the relationship that was blooming between the other girl and Koga. The seeds of love had been there, as Kagome had suspected. Shortly after Ayame had appeared, she remained close to Koga. It was impossible for any hot-blooded demon to ignore the young, beautiful female. Yes, the beginnings were definitely there. They just needed a little nurturing. Ayame's feelings had been more than evident, but Kouga's had always seemed a little more hidden. Kagome had prodded and urged until she thought she had the right information.

-----------------------Flashback------------------------

They were sitting under the stars on a large tree stump. Koga had invited Kagome to sit with him, but when the human invited Ayame, the other girl declined, defeat in her eyes.

"Kagome... Are you truly happy with that mutt-face?" Koga had asked.

She looked up at him, curious. Just as quickly, she looked away again as she considered her answer.

"He makes me angry. And he hurts my feelings. Sometimes I'm sad, and when I am... it's a really deep kind of sad. But a lot of the time, I'm happy. Very happy, so that the other stuff doesn't seem so bad." Kagome was a little surprised at how true her own statement was.

"I do still love him Koga... I don't think I would know how to _not_ love him."

Shortly after he had first brought her to the den, she had ended up telling the wolf demon why she had left with him. At first, Koga had been furious. As far as he was concerned, if Kagome insisted on being with the mutt, then he damn well better keep her happy. It was ages before Kagome had calmed him down.

After realizing that Kagome's feelings for InuYasha ran deeper than his own feelings for her, Koga had finally relented on his hope for her heart... sort of. Still, he felt that he was responsible for making sure she was happy and safe. And he was intent on chewing out InuYasha the first chance he got.

Koga had seemed pensive for a moment, then mentioned something unexpected to Kagome.

"Ayame doesn't seem very happy lately. Has she told you if anything is wrong?"

The young woman looked up at the wolf demon again, but this time, he was staring at the moon above them. She read genuine concern on his features.

"No, Ayame hasn't said anything in particular to me... but I have noticed she seems sad. What do you think could be wrong?" Kagome looked away from Koga. She hadn't really lied. Ayame hadn't said a word as to why she was so miserable. But then again, she didn't have to. Koga fiddled with a scrap of fur from his clothing.

"I dunno. I don't want to upset you Kagome, but... She got worse when I brought you. Do you guys not get along or something?"

Kagome almost laughed. Koga was sweet, loyal, and when he wanted to woo you, he would do everything to sweep you off your feet. But he matched InuYasha in tact. He had none. And they were both absolutely clueless about the feelings others had for them. Kagome's heart squeezed a little at the painful reminder, but she pushed it away. She didn't want to constantly be tormenting herself with something that could never be hers anymore.

"Koga, me and Ayame are fine. She's become a close friend. But I do think her unhappiness does have something to do with me being here..." Kagome paused, hoping Koga would pick up on her insinuated tone. Ayame mooned over the guy, he couldn't be that dense... could he?

"Then I don't understand what the hell her problem is. She likes you. She's always with the pack, does everything she wants. Ugh! Females... err... sorry."

Kagome dropped her head. He _was_ that dense. A month. A whole damn month she had been pushing Koga to Ayame, and though he stopped needing the pushing recently, he still didn't get it. Sure, he spent a lot of alone time with Ayame now, but then he'd come back and immediately ask Kagome how she was. All Ayame wanted was to know that Koga cared for her. And the guy kept sending her mixed messages. Kagome was ready to strangle him. She knew what the female youkai was going through. She decided it was time to be blunt.

"Koga... do you remember when we found that you had asked for Ayame's hand years ago?"

Koga blushed furiously. He stammered out a mumbled reply and nodded. He had offered Ayame marriage. He had cared for her before he had seen Kagome, only to push her aside when a new girl came around. As much as the mutt got under his skin, this was the only topic he could sympathize with him on. Things were a little bit different for the wolf demon though. He knew Kagome didn't care for him in the way she did for InuYasha, and the burning infatuation he had held had faded somewhat, and was being replaced with a treasured companionship. Recently, he had been thinking of Ayame, and of the promise he had made for her years ago.

"Did you ever think that maybe it wasn't just an issue of convenience for her? That she actually wanted to stand by your side as your mate? And if she did, don't you think that it would have bothered her to find that you had brought back me, a girl you said you loved, back to the den and then expected Ayame to take the back seat?" Koga blinked as Kagome abruptly stood in front of him. She looked a little angry, but he wasn't sure why. He was flustered as he took a moment to consider her words.

"Uh... well... It's not that I don't care about her or anything, but that was a long time ago, and Ayame doesn't feel like that anymore."

Kagome scoffed. "Koga, every day, while me and her are practicing sword craft, you come by and she goes starry-eyed. I have gotten better with using a blade, but _you_ are a very big reason why the lessons never finish and I'm not as good at fighting as she is, when I should be. If you can't see that you're either blind, or stupid. Quite possibly both."

The exasperation in her voice was more than evident. With a sigh, she turned and walked away from the dumbstruck demon. Koga rose and in a few strides caught up with her. He spoke her name and touched her arm. When she turned to face him again, he was surprised to see the start of tears in her eyes.

"Koga, I know you have feelings for Ayame. They may or may not grow into something else, but at least give it a chance. Ayame loves you." Kagome looked at the demon, trying to convey that she truly believed he and the other demon were meant for each other. The wolf saw this, but also something else that haunted the sable orbs that peered up at him. A thought and a wish that he knew had haunted the young mortal for a long time.

Koga grimaced and hugged Kagome to him. Kagome was too good for InuYasha. He expected her to cry, but she didn't, instead digging her fingers into his fur vest. Despite her refusal, he had always hoped someday, something would change her mind. What he saw in her eyes now convinced beyond anything else that it would never happen. He turned his mind briefly to Ayame. It was true; he had come to admire her and looked forward to seeing the girl. Perhaps in his fervent infatuation with the mortal, he _had_ been blind to anything else, even the new feelings that crept up in his heart. He made two resolutions. One, he was going to work things out with Ayame. Two, he was going to pound that stupid mutt into the ground.

-------------------End Flashback------------------

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Sango paced the entrance to the small path that led to the God Tree. Now she was worried about two of her friends, Kagome and InuYasha. She had sat and talked with Miroku multiple times about the relationship of their two missing companions. The fury she had felt towards the hanyou had abated eventually. Miroku had tried to explain things from InuYasha's point of view as best he could. The monk himself was unhappy with the way InuYasha treated Kagome, but he knew that the other man had personal demons to deal with, literally, as well as working with the overwhelming emotions Kagome had opened his heart to. He pitied his friend in a way. They all expected him to easily choose between a woman who was his first love and who he had sworn to protect, and a woman who had shown him a deep and true love, and who he also wanted to protect. The hanyou's honor, though he often claimed to have none, was being pulled in two opposite directions.

After understanding this, Sango started to worry about InuYasha. The group knew how depressed he became whenever Kagome left even for a short time, and the guilt he battered himself with when he knew he had hurt her by seeing Kikyo. Now he had the new knowledge that Kagome had forever locked herself in the feudal era. And all knew the reason for her choice.

As the monk approached her, she turned concerned eyes to him.

"Miroku, InuYasha's been gone too long. I... I shouldn't have been so harsh with him." The young taijiya hung her head in shame, remembering swinging her bone weapon at the silverhaired hanyou.

The houshi nodded. "I'm worried as well. He's never left for this long before. You were angry for Kagome. But still... What do you want to do?"

Sango quickly made a decision. "I'm getting Kirara and I'm going to find him. We can't track Kagome, but I'm sure Kirara can pick up InuYasha's scent."

Without another word, Sango retreated to hut at the edge of the village and emerged wearing her exterminator uniform and her weapon. Kirara followed her and changed into her demon form upon reaching the path where the two humans stood.

"I should come with you..." Miroku started, but Sango held a hand up and climbed upon Kirara's back.

"I'll be ok on my own. Besides, he might not...be comfortable with both of us there."

Miroku paused for a moment, then nodded. He understood that Sango felt the need to apologize to the hanyou for her own behavior, as well as make sure he was ok. There had been little demon activity in the area, and he knew Sango could handle herself. He waved as the woman and the cat demon lifted into the air.

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Sango urged on her demon friend.

"Come on Kirara. I know you can find him."

They had been searching for the better part of the morning, consistently moving west. There was no sign of the half demon they sought. By late afternoon, the youkai exterminator gave up her hunt and returned to the village. Miroku met her with eyes that at first were expectant, then faded to disappointment. He was trying to hide the look before Sango leapt from Kirara's back, but the girl had already seen.

"Couldn't find him?"

Sango mutely shook her head. Her eyes were starting to sting. Kagome had left to get away from InuYasha. InuYasha left to get away from his memories here in the village, and of course, Sango herself. Shippo was starting to get older, going through a demon 'growth spurt', and was pulling away from them, no longer behaving like the small child he was before. The girl clenched her fists. The group, the closest thing she had to a family... no, _the_ family she had now since her own village was decimated, was falling apart and there was nothing she could do about it. Miroku sensed her frustration and reached out to her. Before he could clasp her to him, the kitsune that now looked almost eight years of age instead of six ran up to them, a look of urgency splayed on his features.

"Miroku! Sango! I saw InuYasha!" The two adults snapped their heads towards his voice at the mention of the hanyou's name.

"Where is he? What did he say?" Sango fired her questions as the young demon stopped to stand next to them.

"He's not here, he only stopped for a second before he left again. He asked me to tell everyone that he would be gone for awhile, but he wasn't going to stay gone. He said he'll be back, but he doesn't know when." Shippo paused for a moment. "He didn't say why, exactly. Something about it being 'man-stuff' and that I would understand later"

The last sentence was more of an afterthought, as if the young youkai was still trying to understand what InuYasha had meant. It was obvious he was proud that the older hanyou he not-so-secretly looked up to had entrusted him with the important message. But it brought no joy to either of the humans before him.

Miroku could almost feel Sango's spirit deflate. Without Kagome or InuYasha, they wouldn't be able to go on a serious search for the jewel shards, even if they wanted to. Until both of their missing comrades returned, the remainder of the group was left on their own.

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"But Kagome I don't understand why you have to go! Can't you do this meditation thing here? I don't care what a 'sabbatical' is, I don't want you to go away on your own! At least let me or one of the others go with you!"

Ayame was trailing behind the young mortal who flitted about the small cavern she had claimed as her own. Kagome was quickly folding and packing things into a large leather sack, preparing to leave.

"I don't understand why you don't want to stay here."

Kagome had quickly finished her packing while Ayame voiced her protests. She finally turned to face the obviously distressed girl.

"Ayame, it isn't that I don't want to stay here, this is just something that I feel I need to do. There is still a lot I don't understand about my power, and besides, the sabbatical is normal for miko's in training." Kagome wanted to calm her friend, but she didn't like lying to her. Well. It wasn't quite lying; for all she new, miko's really _did _ go on sabbatical.

She rifled through the sack, checking the items she had packed. A blanket, some food, some oil for tanning hides, an extra set of clothes, a sleeping role, as well as some coverings in case it rained. She didn't need anything to make a fire, nor the makings of a tent, the forest would provide that. She had also packed a small sharpening stone and another type of oil for the sword she now used regularly. Ayame had trained Kagome until the mortal could fight at an intermediate level. Then the miko had decided to take this personal leave.

"Ayame, it's late spring, it's going to be summer season in about a week or so. I'll only be gone about two months, and I'll leave a notice for you and the others around the middle of the month. I won't be gone very long, but this is something I have to do." Kagome's face pleaded with the frustration of her friend, hoping the other would understand what even she herself did not.

The female youkai held her companions eyes for a moment, then dropped her gaze. She hated the fact that Kagome was leaving. It didn't feel right to her. She and the girl had become quite close since she had arrived. Ayame hadn't known about female friends before Kagome. Typically, other females were either family, or rivals, or both! Kagome had shown her kindness, understanding and friendship. And, although the dark-haired girl had never said anything, Ayame was sure that she had had a hand in her new relationship with Koga. The wolf demon lord had slowly started to pay more attention to surprisingly shy female. They had been spending time together before. Kagome would want to go for a walk and get Ayame and Koga to go, but then she would remember she had to train her powers at the last minute. Other times, the threesome would leave together, but somewhere along the way, the two wolf demons would find them selves alone, only to discover that Kagome had 'wandered off' after an injured animal without their notice. One day it had gone from just spending time, to his actively pursuing her. At first it seemed as though he was feeling her out, uncharacteristically unsure of himself. It had gradually grown to a shy and hesitant courtship.

That was almost two months ago. What they shared now was... well... she was sure it was a relationship. Though there had been no dire professions of love, the two wolf demons were often seen sitting alone together, holding the others hand or just enjoying a starlit evening. Occasionally, Ayame would find small gifts tucked away in her sleeping roll. Perhaps a beautiful shell at the bottom of the riverbed that she had seen, but had been unable to reach. Or flowers that she had admired while on a walk with Koga. In any case, she credited the beginnings of what she and Koga now had to Kagome. And the fact that the other girl had gone to such lengths for her happiness was something Ayame held dear to her heart.

"Kagome, it's dangerous to go out on your own. I know you have these power things, but it's still dangerous." Ayame's voice was soft now, a last pleading effort for Kagome to stay and train here, in the safety of the wolves hunting grounds.

The mortal resolutely shook her head. The need to be on her own was too strong. It wasn't that she wanted to leave her friend's behind, but more like she needed to prove to herself that she could survive on her own. While she knew of the dangers of the forest, there was only one that she was truly concerned about. Devious youkai and other predators she was sure she could handle. It was the 'demon master' that she feared. However, since she had received the amulet, the dreams had stopped and whenever she searched for a demon aura, she didn't sense the suffocating, pervasive quality of the ones that Merona and Nioaku had possessed. She felt sure that she would be safe enough.

She strapped her new blade to her hip and swung the sack, bow and quiver of arrows over one shoulder. Reaching out, she took one of the demon's hands in both of hers.

"Ayame, I'm going. I won't be gone long, I promise. But I have to go."

Ayame dropped her head in defeat. If anything, she had learned that once the young woman was set on something, it was going to happen come hell or high water.

As they exited the cave, Ayame went to stand next to Koga. Kagome saw her shake her head as Koga asked something. Obviously, Koga had hoped that Ayame would be able to convince Kagome to stay. Hakakku and Ginta suddenly swarmed her, asking a million questions. Neither wanted her to go, but both had seen InuYasha and Koga after getting in Kagome's way. They both loved the human like a sister... but that didn't stop them from being a little afraid of her every now and again. Instead of trying to convince her to stay, they asked about the things she had packed, where she thought she was going to be, how and when she would leave her promised messages. Anything to ease the packs raw nerves that the much-loved woman would be safe on her own.

Kagome finally managed to answer all the queries thrown at her, then hugged the two clumsy, adorable wolf demons to her and planted a quick kiss on each cheek, making then blush heavily. Releasing them, she walked towards the north, the surrounding wolf demon parting before her. Ayame and Koga followed close behind.

They soon approached the borderlands of the wolf tribe. The pack had not followed any further than the designated hunting grounds, leaving the well-known trio to continue alone. Kagome turned to face her friends. Ayame was still worried, and the emotion made itself well known in the jade eyes. Koga was also concerned, but maintained a stern stance.

"I promise, you guys. It won't be long. I'll be back before you know it and in the mean time, I'll leave a message for you here in the middle of every month." Kagome's heart was fluttering. She was excited, nervous, and a little sad all at once. She hugged them both at once, not wanting to drag out the goodbyes. She had been saying all along that she would be back soon. So why did her feel as if she wouldn't see her friends again? She ignored the sense and told herself that it was only nerves. After whispering goodbyes, she turned and headed down the hill and into the woods. She turned to waive one more time. Ayame frantically returned the gesture while Koga stood beside her, stoic.

Kagome turned back and headed into the woods. She would learn to control her powers. She would be strong. And she was not coming back until she finished.

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A/N: Ok, so there are the two latest chapters, Chapter 18 is waiting, but it is not the end of the story, (as per Karma's review. Sorry! I didn't mean to make it look like it was ending there!) Hope you guys like it! Please leave any comments and constructive criticisms, they are appreciated. Thanks again for taking the time to read so far and thanks to those who have been review/ do review!TTFN

P.S.: There is going to be a name change! This story has taken a different direction than what I had originally thought. The New name will be : What Lies Within: The Depths of the Heart. I will not officially change the name for another week, but this is to give lots of notice. Thanks again!

P.P.S.: There is a secondary reason for the name change. I will give a cookie to those who can guess ;p


	18. The Hidden Enemy Revealed

The morning sun rose clean and clear, gently scattering the first lines of golden light on the ground. The faint beginnings of what promised to be strong sunlight sifted through the thick branches and leaves of weeping willow, dappling the sleeping face of a miko who took her rest under the large tree. Slowly, the intensity of the light increased and a gentle breeze wafted through the hanging branches, causing the points of light to tickle their way across her face and over her eyelids. Fighting against nature's urge to awaken her, the girl scrunched up her face. But today she could not roll over and go back to sleep. She had things to do.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes. She blinked rapidly as the pieces of bright light from the quickly rising sun offended her eyes. Sitting up, she stretched then rose from her sleeping pallet. Not wasting any time, Kagome rolled up the pallet and tucked it snugly into a hollow in the tree where she kept the rest of her belongings. Pulling out the sack, she easily picked out the provisions that she had hunted and cleaned the previous day for today's morning meal. Behind the curtain of the weeping willows branches and leaves, she cooked and ate her meal, then swiftly packed everything back up again. Normally, she would have spent the remaining of the day practicing her growing craft and exploring this forest that she was now residing in. Today was different.

She had arrived in this forest some time ago, and the days had passed swiftly. It was already the promised time when she would return to the wolf tribe borders and leave her message for Ayame and the others. The glen that she now made her home in was really quite large. She had found it late in the night after a steady, fast paced trek into the northern lands.

After leaving the wolf's borderlands, she had passed through large forests, intercepted by loping hills and flat, dry meadowlands. Each time she stopped to look for a suitable place to make camp, she later found it inapt, and so continued. At one point, as the stars were beginning to make their appearance, she had entered a large grassy meadow, again finding the forest preceding it unsuitable. Being quiet weary, she had considered laying there in the grasses for the night, but a quick scan of her surroundings revealed another forest not too far from where she was standing. It was always much better to have the cover of the trees instead of being exposed to the elements and any predators. Kagome quickly shortened the distance between herself and the edge of the woods.

The moment she had placed a step inside its boundaries, Kagome had known that this was the place she had been searching for. Stepping through the tree cover and out of the clearing that preceded it had caused an immediate sensation in her. It was one of peace and tranquility. If she hadn't known better, she would have been sure that the woodlands held some type of magical force, for her heart felt a comforting warmth; her travel-weary body, a gentle ease. She had almost laid her items down then and there, but realized that she would need a water and food supply as well as shelter. The area itself was not terrifically huge, most of its space seemed to be taken up with a large lake that was fed by a waterfall at its far end. After a quick scout, Kagome noticed that the warmth and calm she felt only lasted about two miles away from the edges of the lake. _How odd. Maybe this is a magic point of some sort._ Kaede had warned her that some lower youkai claimed whole areas as their own, permeating it with an aura to mark the territory. However, Kagome didn't feel any danger in the air, only a benevolent fey quality that wafted through the trees.

After making her decision, Kagome soon found the weeping willow. Sure that the thick foliage would hide her from any dangerous animals (though for some reason, she doubted there were any here) she made her camp there. Aside from the protection, she was also close to the lake that provided fresh water for drinking, boiling and bathing.

Kagome shook her head, clearing it of her reverie. Pushing the sack that held her cooking items and remaining food back into the hollow, she then turned and picked up the sheathed sword that leaned against the willow's trunk. Unsheathing it and raising the weapon, she stretched out her arm to gaze down its length. She had practiced, and polished it almost everyday to make sure that both the sword and her own skills would not get rusty. It slipped into its sheath with a soft _snick!_ before she strapped it to her left hip, making sure it was within the correct reaching distance. Kagome bent for another moment to pick up her bow and arrows, and after a quick glance to make sure the camp was in order, she headed to the border of the wolf tribes land. She had left markers so she would find her way back easily, even though she wasn't sure she needed them anymore. But still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

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From Kagome's estimate, she was about half way to the border when high noon struck. She laid down her bow and arrows and sat in the grass. Rolling grasslands surrounded her, the vegetation so high that it came to her shoulders when she sat down. Fishing in her pocket, she pulled out some trail mix that she had made up and started to eat. _A quick snack, then head on again. When I come back, I'll stop and find some game for supper._ As unpleasant as it had been, the time she had spent fending for her and InuYasha had taught her some valuable lessons. One of which being able to hunt for herself. Lost in thought, she reached up in a gesture that had become habit, at brushed the two stones that hung from her neck. She had managed to fix the necklace that the Jewel hung from, albeit clumsily, but it was strong and would not break easily.

Kagome stopped all movement and pricked her ears. The lands around her had fallen completely silent. Unnaturally silent. She slowly brought her hand to her sword, the bow and arrows still close by, and made to stand. Feeling out, she sensed a familiar aura, but not a welcome one. Her eyes widened slightly and she made a small gasp as she made the association.

"You're a little slower than I had expected."

Kagome whirled to face the presence, fully expecting the demon master. Upon seeing his face, she immediately knew it was not the one she feared, but one of his minions. The demon before her had straight black hair that fell just to his shoulders and blazing green eyes. The Master had long flowing hair and eyes the sickly rich color of blood. Kagome also noted the large black bat wings that extended from the back of his lanky, yet muscular, black-clad body. It was those that kept the demon aloft, and just behind him there was a quartet of lesser demons. All in all, she recognized the group of five for what it was. A hunting party.

Dropping the sword, she immediately started to conjure a fireball, hurling it at the right wing of the creature before her. He dodged it easily, to the misfortune of the demon whose vision had been blocked by his leader's wing. The demons head combusted on impact, the flailing body fell quickly to the ground where it twitched out it last remnants of energy.

The green-eyed leader noted the death of his comrade with no more than the bat of the eye. He started to dive for her, the remaining demons following suit.

"Those are some interesting powers for a priestess..." His tone almost seemed conversational. He dodged another projectile, this time an energy orb, and pulled up.

Kagome spun, continuously throwing more energy blasts. She was starting to weaken a little. It was the amulet holding her back. She could feel the roiling power, almost as if it were just under her skin. She growled.

"I am no priestess!"

He could smell the spike of her anger. The master had been right... the little wench was sensitive about the priestess title. The three other demons dipped and whirled around her, taunting her with quick slashes and occasional remarks of miko blood in her.

Though she had trained hard since leaving Koga and Ayame, the force she was putting behind her attacks, and the number of blasts she had thrown, was wearing on her restrained powers. Kagome took her eyes off the group for but a moment to reach for her sword, but this was the moment that the leader of the hunting party had been waiting for.

In a heartbeat, he swept in and an iron fist connected hard with the soft tissue just under Kagome's ribs. Pain exploded in her mind and a million tiny pin points of light filled her vision as she desperately tried to claw air into her throat. Her knees felt weak, but she knew that if she hit the ground, she would lose. Struggling to regain her senses and her balance, she reached for the bow and arrows in front of her. _I... I can... charge the arrow... gotta... reach. _ Her hand was a hairsbreadth's distance from the arrow when her plan was noticed by the pack leader.

Another wave of pain washed over her as something struck the back of her head. She fought to keep strength in her legs, but it was futile. Her bones might as well have been water. Gray crept in the corners of her vision as her mind cried out for her body to remain alert. Her last view was that of her weapons and trail mix scattered on the ground that was swiftly retreating from her. Then there was black.

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Kagome's mind scrambled up from the grey world of unconsciousness, reaching for any grasp of being alert. She felt herself being carried; wind whipping her hair to the side and streaking across her cheeks. Who was carrying her? The last thing she remembered was fighting the pack that had been sent after her. Her heavy eyelids opened, a sharp pain in the back of her head made her think that she might have a concussion. Her eyesight was hazy, but she fought to bring the fuzzy object that she seemed to be heading towards into clarity. The young woman felt the darkness of oblivion take over her again, but not before she registered looming target. Large black spiraling towers reached upwards and a buttress protected the front of the building. The remainder seemed to be melded into the stone mass surrounding it. A crafty architectural decision, forcing any attackers to leave themselves open to the front. But also, the building was not at the base, but rather nearer the top, just above the halfway mark. _A castle? Carved in the mountain?_ Kagome barely had time to consider an answer before her mind slipped back into unconsciousness again.

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She didn't want to open her eyes yet. The bed was so comfortable; the sheet she lay on was soft and luxurious. Kagome snuggled into the warm material, a contented smile playing on her lips for a moment. The smile disappeared as her sleepy mind recalled that she shouldn't be on a comfy, warm bed, she should be on the soft grass under her willow tree. That there should be sounds of crickets and the night air playing through the leaves of the willows foliage, not the dense silence that seemed to pound in her ears.

As her senses forced her mind to waken, Kagome's eyelids fluttered open. Sitting up, she drew a small quick breath as she looked about her. The large room she lay in was dark, decorated in rich browns and greens. The four poster bed in which she had been sleeping was against the far wall from the door, in the center and was made of mahogany, the posters ornately carved. Large sconces adorned the walls at intervals, providing light with the tapered candles they bore. In the flickering light, Kagome could see the magnificent fireplace directly ahead of her, its glowing embers radiating heat. Confused, she tried to remember what had happened for her to come this place.

Her head was killing her. Raising a hand to touch the tender spot, Kagome felt a small knot at the base of her skull. Then she remembered the hunting party. Her anger flowed through her. They had kidnapped her! As soon as the miko had realized this, a small run of fear coursed through her. The hunting party belonged to the Master. Kagome remembered her hazy view of the castle, and concluded that she must now be inside. She had to get out. She wasn't ready yet to defeat him, she knew that. Kagome cursed herself. The others knew nothing of her whereabouts; it had been perfect timing for the Demon Master to make his move. Now her only option was to escape.

Kagome grasped the richly embroidered burgundy comforter that covered her and hastily pulled it off. She looked down as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and froze. In that moment, it felt like her lungs plummeted to her toes, and her stomach was forcing its way into her throat. A sensation of cold dread enveloped her.

She was wearing the dress. The one from her nightmares. A black and red corset with a dipping neckline was cinched tightly around her middle, pushing her ribs in and her breasts up. Reaching around to the back she felt the knotted string ties and was positive they would be the color of blood. Her fingers went numb and her insides fluttered as her hand lighted its way across the full black silk skirt that swept out from her hips. The only thing missing from the terror-inducing ensemble was the full sleeves. _Dear Kami, this can't be real..._ Kagome swallowed hard, her muscles tense as she slowly realized she was now living her nightmare.

Making her hands into tight fists and clenching her teeth, Kagome pushed herself off the bed in a hushed rustle of brocade petticoats and silk fabric. In the silence of the room, the sound was deafening. She rushed first to the window, then to the door, finding both to be locked securely. She considered using her powers to blast it open, then thought better of it. _Can't exactly sneak away if you alarm the entire castle._ Her next search was for her furs that she had been wearing. There was no where in the room to actually store clothes, so the hunt was considerably short-lived. Nerve-racked and exasperated, Kagome stood in the middle of the room, arms akimbo, trying to think of a way to get out, and how to rid herself of the damned dress. Then she realized that in order for her to be in this dress... someone had to have helped her out of her old clothes.

First embarrassment, then anger caused her cheeks to flush. Her fury flamed her desire to face the master until her temper broke. That bastard! He had hunted her! Undressed her! And now he hid behind locked doors!

Kagome's fists made thunderous crashes as she assaulted heavy oak door.

"YOU BASTARD! LET ME OUT! COME FACE ME YOU COWARD!"

The girl paused for a moment, a little breathless from her screams. A low chuckle seemed to reverberate in her ears, sending her into a new tirade. Her eyes hazed and the gem that lay on the newly-forced cleft of her cleavage brightened with life. The Jewel still dangled from its safe place, just behind the Amulet. The thick door actually shook when she pounded on it.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU GODDAMNED SHIT! LET ME OUT! I'LL GET OUT OF HERE!"

Kagome continued her screaming outburst until she felt nearly hoarse. Exhausted, she turned and braced her back to the door. Sliding down into the giant pool of her petticoats and silks, she mashed down the puffed up fabric. She then noticed there were slits in the black silk that exposed a silk underskirt of blood red. Just like the dream. _Got everything down to the goddamned 'T"_

She was angry and she was tired. She was alone and afraid. Kagome's chest heaved as she felt frustrated tears threaten. She dashed them away with the back of her hand before they had a chance to fall. She was _not_ going to fall apart. She was _not_ going to give in. She was getting the hell out of here, come hell or high water.

A tap came from the other side of the door. Kagome turned and clumsily got to her feet. Her eyes hardened and she curled her hands into fists once again. She didn't have any weapons, but a good energy orb ought to take care of whoever was coming through that door.

The door creaked open slowly, cautiously. Kagome brought her hands behind her back, beginning the conjuration of an energy orb. She was ready the face the intruder. One quick blast and she would fly down the hall and find a way out. Her eyes blazed as they anticipated the sight of a grotesque demon.

" 'Scuse me, milady. The lord would like to see you."

The orb she had been creating died in her hands as Kagome rested her eyes on the small creature before her. A female lynx demon, seeming only slightly older that Shippo, stood before her. Wide blue eyes stared up at her out of a cherubic face. The child's auburn hair was tied back with a peach silk ribbon that matched the simple, yet pretty, kimono she wore. _What in hell is a child doing here?_

Kagome immediately was empathetic to the large-eyed girl. She bent down to her level.

"Hi there. Are you friends with the lord here? You seem scared, is everything ok? I can try to help if you like..." Kagome reached out to touch the girl's shoulder. She hoped to save herself and the child before her.

The lynx demoness contorted her face and hissed. Her small hand had a grip of iron as it clasped Kagome's wrist and started to drag the woman down a long hallway, resplendent with thick rugs and elaborate candelabra for lighting.

"You are to meet the Master, human. I was sent to ease you into it, but I can smell fear and distrust from you. No doubt you were planning to escape." The small demon stopped for a moment, whirling to face Kagome, who in her shock at the girl's reaction had not put up much fight in being hauled to the Master's presence.

"Did you think you could take me into your confidence? That you, a mortal, would protect me, and I would help you escape from the castle? Hah." The misleading innocent sneered in derision.

"Stupid, trusting, gods-damned humans. You really are no better than cattle." She muttered.

Spinning around again, the lynx-girl continued, rather brusquely, to haul Kagome by the wrist to the end of the hallway, down a wide, winding stair case, and into what Kagome understood to be a main acceptance room. Their steps echoed in the overwhelmingly large space as they approached the throne before them.

Recognizing it for what it was, Kagome finally started to resist. As she strained and bucked against the child's grip, the occupant of the throne slowly grinned, glad to see that Lily had not frightened the fight out of his latest prize.

Thoroughly frustrated with her charge, the lynx demoness ungracefully threw the franticly rebelling Kagome in front of the Master. The woman landed in a heap on the floor, her skirts billowing out around her. Peering out from underneath her bangs, she received her first look at the one who had haunted her so long.

He lounged on his throne, one leg slung over the massive arm of the dark-stained chair. Long fine hair, black as night, cascaded down his shoulders, pooled at the floor. Kagome was sure that when he stood, it would reach his thighs. His face was not unpleasant, but his aristocratic features held a chilling iciness. His blood red eyes seemed to sear into her. Kagome had a mad thought _He's going to swallow me with his eyes...!_ His gaze made her skin crawl and her insides feel as though they had simply walked out on her. She stiffened herself to face the abominable creature.

Taking a breath, Kagome slowly gathered herself and stood. The master locked on her baleful eyes. He was quite sure that given half the chance, she would blow him to kingdom come and damn the consequences. He loved the fight in her. He rose from his languid position and stood before her. In three casual strides, he closed the distance between them. He expected her to back away, but she wouldn't. Kagome refused to back away and have him think she would be submissive. Her eyes narrowed as she began to conjure a fireball behind her back.

The master smiled. Of course she would try to escape, had he not expected it? The smile that curled his lips did nothing to warm the eyes that Kagome found she could not tear away from. She started to feel a choking miasma descend upon her. She panicked. She couldn't breath! She couldn't pull away! The fire she had conjured was obliterated as she brought her hands in front to cover her mouth.

No sooner had to fire gone out then the master reached around and grasped her wrist. Spinning her so her back was to him, he twisted her arm up at a painful anger, earning her wrenched cry of pain as a prize to his ears. He leaned close to the cup of her right ear, reaching around with his free hand to hold the opposite side of her face in a faux lover's embrace. Kagome tried to pull her head away from his uncomfortably close presence with a grunt, but his hand held firm and denied her any movement.

"I like your passion Kagome. I like your spirit and fight for life. You don't understand how much I admire you. I've been watching you for a very long time."

Kagome felt like growling. She hissed out her words

"You bastard. Let me go."

"Tut tut, dear heart. You just tried to attack me." The youkai stroked her face when she started. Kagome hadn't thought he had seen her.

"I don't think you understand me. I focus on you; I can see everything you do. It hurt me that you would try to cause me harm, especially when I rescued you from the hurts that that awful half-breed caused you..." Kagome could feel his lip curl as he sneered the last few words.

Spinning her back around, the demon released her. Kagome felt slightly dizzy, although she wasn't sure if it was due to the spinning, the restraint of oxygen from when the master had his arm across her throat, or from the light miasma that still settled around her.

Turning his back, the youkai strode back to his throne and flopped down.

"I suppose I should at least let you know my name. It wouldn't do to have my mate not know me. I am Teinosuke. A shadow demon. And I am taking you as my mate in increase my territories until all of the lands are under my control."

Kagome sputtered. "Me? Your MATE! You are off you goddamned rocker, buddy! There is no way in this world I'm going to mate with you! And you didn't 'rescue' me from anything, you egotistical asshole!"

Teinosuke watched the struggle of emotions on the girls face. Gods, but she was amazing. He gazed on as she struggled to bring her hands in front of her to start another attack. Her furious countenance melted to confusion when she found she was too weak to do so.

"You really shouldn't bother. You're probably feeling a little dizzy right now. I have a light miasma wrapped around you. It keeps your powers from being of any use to you, just in case you get the same kind of foolish ideas you just had."

Kagome felt her blood boil at the sight of the youkai's smug smirk.

"And about that rescue thing. Again, you really misunderstand me. Come look."

He rose from the chair and stood next to a waist-high podium that seemed to hold some type of platter. Seeing no other option, Kagome followed and peered into the water. It shimmered for a moment before settling on an image that bore into her heart and ripped at still fresh wounds. InuYasha and Kikyo. Standing under the God tree, kissing. Tears she had thought stopped long ago brimmed in her eyes again. Teinosuke studied her as she turned her eyes away from the painful scene. Had she waited a moment longer, she would have seen the confusion and disturbance on InuYasha's face. She would have seen the image of herself in the shadows, watching. She would have understood that she was seeing something from the past, and would have understood what the demon lord was trying to do.

"Dearest Kagome, I see how he pains you, let me teach how to be rid of him."

He snaked his hand around her now tiny waist and pressed his nose to her hair, inhaling deeply. Kagome saw a brief flash of her nightmare self. In the gown she was now wearing, InuYasha's heart in her hand. Anger and fear came hard and fast. She spun before the youkai could grab her. She could feel the scream rising in her.

"NO!"

Kagome's nails came raking down the side of Teinosuke's face, leaving long jagged gashes. She felt the miasma lift slightly. Not enough to allow her to use her conjurations, but enough to use her more accessible powers. Kagome focused on the pedestal and lifted it. Its weight was too much for her; the base fell and crashed to the floor, sending shards of stone skittering across the polished floor. Ignoring the crash, she continued to lift the platter with her powers, sending it flying to the back of Teinosuke's head. It slammed against his back; her powers were weakening again, his miasma regaining its strength. His head was down, but a low and ominous growl emitted from the back of his throat. Kagome felt her heart leap, and like the doe she had seen so long ago in the glen, she whirled and started to run.

A larger chunk of the destroyed pedestal went unseen by her panicked eyes. Stepping on it, her stride went askew and she hit the floor hard. Not stopping, just barely registering the slivers of stone in her hands, she struggled to get back up. It was too late. Teinosuke stood before her as she rose. Her heart was fluttering against her chest like a caged bird. She was terrified. His eyes shone and the previously gentle, if perverted, smile he wore before now seemed horrifyingly malicious. Blood slowed as the four wounds she had caused started to heal.

"You're temper is your downfall, dear child. Did you forget your awful mishap with the half-breed? He was weak and didn't reprimand you properly."

Teinosuke's tone seemed conversational, almost like a parent talking to a child. It soon turned, belying the cruel, cold, and vicious nature that truly lay within.

"Unfortunately for you, I know how to put a mortal woman in her place."

The youkai raised his arm and backhanded Kagome, hard. She was sent sprawling to the floor, sliding back to the steps to his throne, where her head connected solidly with the first step. Her vision burred. She was sure she had been struck in the same place as before, but now her cheek throbbed. In the corner of her eye, she could see the left side of her face start to swell. She wondered if there had been any breakage.

Dazed on the floor, Kagome had no reaction as the malevolent demon approached her. When he was finally standing beside her, blackness was starting to creep in. The mortal girl raised her hands in a weak attempt at defense, but the male gripped her wrists painfully together in one of his massive hands. He started to drag her across the floor towards a dark and foreboding door that was partially hidden on the right hand side of his throne room.

"You have disappointed me, Kagome. I wanted to share my life with you. To give you the world. And you rejected it. Tried to harm me, not once but twice! I will give you one last chance to gain from my benevolence. Apologize, Kagome. Speak your sorrow and that you will stay by my side and release these wishes to cause me any pain."

He paused as he waited for her answer, his hand on the obsidian doorknob. After a moment, he considered that she might have blacked out. Then a rasped whisper flew from her lips before oblivion claimed her.

"I will never stay by your side and I will do everything I can to destroy you, you miserable shit."

Kagome's eyes rolled back, her head lolled to the side. Her hands were raw and bleeding from the splinter, and there were more of the bright red spots on her back from the shards that had pierced her as she was being dragged across the floor.

"Very well," Teinosuke stated to the unconscious woman, "if you refuse to live with me as my mate. I will keep my as my toy." The chilling grin swept across his face again as he bent and swept Kagome up. Throwing her over his shoulder, he opened the door and descended down the narrow steps it revealed. His bemused chuckling was cut short as it slammed back into place.

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Kagome moaned. Her head felt like it had been crushed. Gods, her wrist joints were on fire. And they were above her head. Blinking rapidly, Kagome found herself in a small, dark room. The only light was from a tiny candle on the far end. Her body screamed its miseries as she twisted to look around her. She was shackled to the wall in a circular room, the iron loop that her manacles were twisted through would have reached hip level, if she had been standing, which she wasn't. Instead she was half sitting, half kneeling, with her body braced against the wall. She was cold, her corset gone, her body now clad in thin undergarments. Her legs were mostly covered by a black, filmy petticoat, her torso by a white chemise that exposed a broad expanse of her stomach and back.

Shakily she tried to stand, but the room spun with her attempt. Kagome glanced around, trying to get her bearings. There was a reclining figure against the far wall. A very thin figure that wasn't moving. Kagome's eyes were starting to adjust to the light. She squinted to try and get a better look. For just a moment, she thought she might have a comrade to help escape. Then she realized the chest was not rising as a living person's should.

"Oh Kami, please don't tell me I'm locked here with a corpse." Her voice was full of dread, her mouth suddenly going dry.

A voice reached out from the dark corner that the faint light didn't reach.

"Actually, dear heart, you are. But have no worries, I will remove him. He didn't last long for entertainment. I hope you will do a much better job."

Kagome recognized the rich, yet frightening, baritone.

"Coward." She spat out, "Easy for you to be threatening when I'm locked up."

Teinosuke stepped out from the shadows. Kagome felt cold fear steal through her. In his hand was a whip. Not one of sharp points, but one that had five extensions, each broad and flat. She could see the leather had been well-oiled. _He isn't really..._ She swallowed hard.

The Youkai master ignored her comments. His smile was soft, but in its gentility, was more disturbing than if he had tried to look evil.

"You're going to fear me, woman. You're going to beg me to allow you to stand by me. And if you don't, you will entertain me with your screams." With a purposefully slow gate, he closed in on her until she knew that she was just within striking distance of the weapon in his hand.

"I will not stand by you, and I will not scream." Her words were strong, defiant.

The grin remained on Teinosuke's face as her brought the whip down, snapping his wrist. Kagome arched her back and hissed as the leather extensions licked around her waist, cracking quickly against her skin. The pain shocked through her and she fell forward slightly. She could feel the welts starting to rise.

Kagome watched in horror as Teinosuke raised his hand again. She prayed that the night would end soon, and that someone would save her from this hell.

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A considerable time later, the sun was starting to rise on the new day. Teinosuke closed the dark door behind him. The utter silence of the throne room seemed deafening. His arm was tired. He truly hated being defied, and the girl had pushed him. He no longer wanted her as a mate. She had confirmed her fate as his new toy. The demon was careful though not to mar her skin. Blood-letting caused scar tissue in humans, which would eventually lose its sensitivity. No, he wanted her to feel every strike.

Teinosuke stretched, satisfied. It had been a long night for him, and now he was weary. After a nap, he would go hunting perhaps. He had worked up an appetite. As he strode across the room, towards his quarters the corners of his mouth turned up at a memory of the early evening. The mortal swore she wouldn't scream. He had to give her credit, she had almost made good of her pathetic little promise. But in the end, her oath had been worthless. She cried, she screamed. They always did. He would sleep well.

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A/N: ok, so Teinosuke is my first real villian, everyone else before was kind of... trial runs. Hope you love to hate him! lol ;) also, with this update, we are now caught up with the number of chapters I have written. Meaning that you, dear readers, might have a bit of a wait until I post again. I'm currently working on chapter 19, but I also have a little bit of writer's block, plus midterms are happening now, then it's a month until finals. I will try and post as soon as I can. Hope you like the story so far! Please leave comments and constructive criticism, it is appreciated. Thanks again to all! TTFN!

P.S.: Teinosuke is my creation, no stealing. (not that I think you would anyway, but this is just, y'know, what everyone does for their created characters... :)


	19. Allies and Enemies

Teinosuke stretched languidly, tangled in his cream, ebony, and oxblood satin sheets. Oh, how he loved his position in life. It was midday, the sun just barely peeking through his heavy burgundy brocade drapes that blocked out all but the most persistent sunrays. He rose from the magnificent bed, naked. What in the nine hells was the point of having satin sheets if you covered your body with an inferior material and couldn't feel them? The youkai ran his hand lovingly along the four-poster-bed's obsidian frame, fantasizing about his next step in the world. Of course, he still wanted to control the lands around him, extending his iron rule as far as possible. Having the mortal's cooperation would have made that much easier, but just because she refused him didn't make it impossible.

Teinosuke stopped and paused for moment. He still had to consider his moves carefully. There were a number of powerful demons out there, and he wasn't as strong as he used to be. As he strode to the floor length curtains that hung from the top of his ten-foot ceiling, he considered his options. Reaching the large and heavy drapes, he ignored the pull-tassel that would have activated the pulley to draw them across, instead throwing them open with both hands.

The blinding sunlight streamed in, outlining his nude figure perfectly. Teinosuke welcomed the world. The sunlight graced his skin, warming his rippled abdomen and playing against the muscles of his taut thighs. He inhaled deeply as the light's warmth spread into his subtly defined chest. Contrary to popular belief, he loved the sunlight. True, his keep was rather dark, but it was not due to any need to feel cold and dank. In fact, if the common imbecile looked closely, they would see that although his home as dark, it was dressed in rich, warm colors and textures. The cold was for the inferiors.

He pushed open the ceiling-to-floor windows. As they gently swung outward, he stepped onto the stone balcony, the chiseled rock slowly being warmed by the sun's heat. Teinosuke breathed the mountain air deeply.

"Ahem."

The Youkai lord turned at the sudden noise, not angry, for he knew there was no reason to fear any under his command. Lily stood in the open doorway, wearing another silk kimono that she was so fond of, this one in a moss green. The bows from the matching ribbon lay lazily on the back of her head.

Teinosuke turned to face her and too a few slow steps to shorten the distance between them. Soon, there were only a few feet between them.

Lily gazed steadily into her master's eyes. The Lord's nudity didn't offend or intimidate her. All in the castle knew that Master Teinosuke preferred to sleep nude, which wasn't that uncommon for such a strong demon. Walking around naked was something a little less common, but it was something else their lord seemed to have a penchant for. In truth, though to humans she looked like a child, she was seventy-five years old, and going through a demon's version of puberty. A nude male, demon or otherwise, was hardly something that would bother her.

"The dead woman is here. She wishes to speak with you." Lily was forced to tilt her head further to keep eye contact with the older demon as he approached her. With only inches separating them, she could smell the heat of the sun off him.

"Very well, I'd hate to keep our guest waiting."

Teinosuke grinned. Just behind Lily was his robe. Reaching over her, he allowed only the barest brush of his ribs against her bare neck. Straightening again, he swung the robe around his shoulders and tied a lazy knot around his middle. The Elder locked on the young youkai's eyes again. Nothing. Not a flicker of anger or apprehension. Her emerald eyes were steady and fearless.

The demon Master smiled and walked past her. This was why he liked Lily. Usually, he didn't mind his minions fearing him. Wanted it even. But Lily, for some reason, never had. She respected him, knew that he could kill her in a heartbeat, and never think anything of it, but never feared him. Such an attitude had sent her rocketing through the ranks of his followers to become his right hand. She knew of everything, and was unfailingly loyal. Pity she was not yet full grown. But she was coming into adulthood very shortly. I Perhaps... /I

Lily followed her lord's brisk pace. Two steps behind and slightly to his right, she kept her eyes straight ahead. As always, she was careful to conceal her inner emotions, lest the stronger demon sensed them. She hated the Shadow youkai that claimed superiority. Loathed him with the very essence of her being. But there was no way to kill him. She simply wasn't strong enough. That horrid human though, there was something about her. Lily had understood the need for the miasma with the undead priestess, but for a young human woman? Evidently there was something about her that the master was uncertain about. The lynx demoness had served under her lord for sometime now, ever since he had tried to tell her that a rampaging demon had killed her tribe while she had been at a hot spring. She had known otherwise, though she didn't know how she had, and though she had dreamed of being free of him, she had never actually thought that a rebellion was possible. Until now.

"Ah, the miko. I welcome you back to my home. You did rather well at separating the half-breed and the girl. Tell me, where are they now?"

Kikyo's back was to the lord for only a moment. When she turned, her sudden intake of breath and a slight widening of her eyes was the only reaction to the male youkai in front of her. He approached casually, his bare feet slapping softly against the cold stone of the floor intermittently hushed by the occasional plush fur hide. Stopping only a few feet in front of her, the robe he wore, or rather let hang on him, was loosened from his short walk and open to a few inches below his naval. Kikyo narrowed her eyes. From the cocky grin he wore, he was trying to intimidate her. If she had her way, she would purify the demon to cinders. But his damned tainted soul collector prevented her from accessing any of her powers.

"I know not where they are. Only that I did all that I could to separate them. I have upheld my part of the bargain. Remove this Shikigami and hand me the shard." Kikyo's voice was cold. She raised her chin slightly. The swaggering demon angered her perhaps more than Naraku. Her posture faltered for a moment as the youkai smirked and stepped towards her. If she didn't know better, there was a want in his eyes similar to that of her original enemy.

"Come no closer, demon. I am not one of your minions to be entertainment at your whim."

Teinosuke stopped and cocked an eyebrow. As her meaning sunk in, he closed his eyes as a chuckle rippled out of his throat. He slipped a hand to the inner right hand pocket of his robe, removing the large shard. He smiled almost pleasantly and brought his eyes level to hers. Everything was going quite well.

"Have no worries, priestess. My taste in women does not include graveyard dirt. And about this shard, I think you may have made a few disastrous assumptions."

The demon lord flicked the sparking shard in Kikyo's direction. Despite her weakened state, she snatched it out of the air and held it up between her thumb and forefinger for inspection.

"A fake shard. You bastard." Kikyo's voice was ice, but fire seemed to burn within her. Throwing the worthless shard to the side, she glared at the offending youkai who let his eyes lie on her in complete calm.

"Now, now, my dear lady. Don't lose your temper. I have no use of you for the time being, but I may need you later." Teinosuke had been examining his claws as he spoke, but upon raising his eyes, caught Kikyo readying to speak out. His next words were low and even. Warning dripped from each syllable.

"Do not think to stand against me, dead woman. I can kill you whenever I please and it would mean no more to me than swatting a fly."

Kikyo stayed her words and for a moment locked baleful eyes with the hated demon. Turning on her heel, she strode out of the room, her back ramrod straight. The dreaded shikigami could not last forever. She would have to wait. And when she was freed... Teinosuke would be much less smug.

"You cannot hold me forever, Teinosuke. Remember that." Kikyo let her last words hang in the air as she passed between the giant iron doors. The youkai master stared until they clanged shut again, the noise reverberating through the room.

_She thinks to threaten me? Stupid female..._ Teinosuke shook his head slowly at the miko's foolishness. He could not be defeated by some undead priestess. He turned to face Lily. He wanted to go hunting, but there was still another matter to attend to. The girl.

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Kagome opened her eyes to the pitch black of her stone enclosure. She had spent the last week in this dank and dreaded cell. Teinosuke was her only company; the corpse had thankfully been removed as the demon had promised. But she was still chained to the damn wall. The young woman felt a tear slip down her cheek. No one was coming for her, she was alone. Her body ached from the strain of keeping herself upright when she was awake, and having her arms stretched so far about her whenever she managed to catch at least a form of sleep.

Stretching and rolling her shoulders, she tried to relax tense and pained muscles. She sucked air between her teeth in a hiss as a still agonizingly tender spot on her lower back was stretched. Teinosuke had 'visited' every night and Kagome had first feared that he would eventually rape her, but that didn't seem to be the case. The sly bastard liked to make her wary and watch her reactions to when he feigned raising his dreaded whip. He would do this repeatedly until she didn't react immediately, and then bring the lashes crashing down against her bared and unsuspecting flesh. It was mentally agonizing as well as physically. The smirk would never leave his face as played with her mind.

Over the past two nights, she had been having visions that it wasn't Teinosuke attacking her, but InuYasha. After nights, or it could have been days, Kagome couldn't tell in her lightless prison, of listening to her captor, she understood that he had been the one to send her the terrifying dreams, and already she suspected that it was the demon lord that implanted these images of the hanyou in her mind. But sometimes they were so real...

Kagome suddenly ducked her head to her shoulder, shielding her eyes from a sudden, blinding light that pierced her world of utter darkness. As her eyes slowly adjusted, she lowered her arm and peeked up over her shoulder. The painful light was emanating from a small candle that she realized would have been actually quite faint.

Squinting past the small flame, Kagome brought the face of the person who had brought the light into focus. After a moment, she realized it was the same child demon that she had met in the room she had originally woken up in. Before she had been encased in this hole. Why in the nine hells was she here?

Not sure if it was an illusion or if Teinosuke was sending someone else to torture her, Kagome attempted to conjure an energy orb, a fireball, anything that she could use in at least some meager form of attack. She may be a prisoner here, but that didn't mean that she would make things easy for her captor. Between her fingers a spark occurred, then started to grow, as it reach the size of a small fruit it started to fade and was snuffed out. Kagome growled inwardly. This had happened before, between the miasma the shadow demon kept surrounding her and the amulet around her neck, her powers were virtually non-existent. She considered the spark she had created for a moment. The last time she had tried it, there was nothing at all. Perhaps she was getting stronger.

Lily was still approaching the chained girl, candle holder in one hand, a small cloth bundle in the other. The day that the undead miko had arrived, Teinosuke had requested that she keep the young woman in the prison alive and healthy when he went hunting. The lord had planned to go that very day, but was sidetracked by more experiments in the south wing. Lily shivered slightly. The Master's experiments were ungodly creations, spawned from animals and demons that she had never even heard of. Often you could hear the cries of the beasts as he removed this and added that. Teinosuke's other vassal, a male, had been fed to them after the Taireny had failed to kill the half-breed dog demon that the lord seemed to hate so much. Lily felt no sympathy for the other demon, a lecherous creature who more than once had attempted to force himself on her. Several broken fingers and a dislocated arm had quickly changed his mind. Though she hated the human simply for not being a demon, the lynx demoness much preferred taking care of the demon lord's new pet instead of his creations.

She watched coldly as the human squinted against the subtle glow of the candle and attempted to hide her now dirty face. Lily almost felt pity for her. Already, the toll of being Teinosuke's form of entertainment was starting to show on the youthful body. Welts were visible on the girls back and stomach and her eyes were haunted with dark rings, giving her a weak and haggard look. The lynx-girl was sure that given more time, the lean muscle under the woman's skin would deteriorate, allowing ribs to become prominent. She had noticed the sad, failed attempt the young priestess had made to attack, and shaded the light with one taloned hand as she faced the subdued mortal.

"Don't bother trying to attack, human. Master Teinosuke has a thick miasma centered on you. It prevents you from doing anything." Lily's words sounded harsh and exasperated to even her own pointed ears.

Laying the candle holder down on the final step, she sat on the cold stone next to it, careful not to create too much of a breeze. The tiny flame flickered for a second as the skirt of her pale blue kimono caused an even tinier wind. The light threatened to go out before settling on a steady glow again. The young lynx demon looked at the chained human, denying herself the warmth of wrapping her arms around her. It wouldn't be good for the woman to see any weakness on her part. Still... she felt somewhat... sad for the scant girl that tried valiantly to suppress her own shivers. She cocked an eyebrow as she observed the glare that the priestess shot in her direction.

"What the hell do you want?" The low-spoken words echoed off the stone walls. Kagome's skin was icy and she fought her body's urge to tremble violently. The skirt and shirt that Teinosuke had left her with were in tatters, not that they provided much warmth when they were intact. She looked closely at the demoness before her. Was she seeing things? The child demoness seemed... older. Not by much, but there was a change. She twisted her sore wrists in the manacles, causing the metal to clink together. She suppressed a grimace of pain, along with another shudder.

Lily cat-like gaze was steady.

"You're still fighting. That's a good sign; it means you might live a little longer." After another caustic glare from the woman, Lily sighed and continued. "Although I'm getting tired of your hostility. Particularly when I'm here to be nice. You should be grateful; it's not something that happens often."

Kagome eyed her warily. "Nice? How? Going to hide your master's toy?" The abuse that she had been dealt had made her angry and bitter instead of afraid. As such, her comment came out dripping with sarcasm.

The demoness curled her lip in a sneer. "Aren't we being a little too bitchy for someone chained to the wall?" She spat out. How in the hells had she thought to get assistance from this wench? How foolish. Here she was bringing the worthless creature those rags she seemed to prefer and some food, in hopes that the girl would have enough strength to take down her loathed master. Then Lily would have been free. _Idiot. She's nothing but a mere human. Look at her_ Lily continued to return Kagome's heated glare. Obviously the girl was nothing spectacular. She had a fierce streak within her, but that was it. It changed what would have been tears and begging to spite and sharp remarks. Nothing more. The master was only toying with her, allowing her to think that she might actually have some hope. He evidently had learned how to get the most out of his victims. Lily's fancy of freedom and the girl's strength had been an illusion, a useless wish.

For what Kagome thought to be no reason at all, the cat demon bared her fangs, hissed at her violently, and hurled the tiny bundle she had been holding at her, striking Kagome squarely in the face. Kagome only heard a scathing "Worthless human!" before the slam of the obsidian door. In her rush to remove herself from Kagome's presence, Lily had left the stub of candle still burning on the last step

Left alone again, but this time with the faint glow of the candlelight, Kagome scanned the ground directly in front of her. When the package had hit her, she had expected it to hurt much more than it had. Instead, it felt soft and plump. There, next to her left knee, was the package. Tucking her feet under her and balancing on one leg, she stuck out a foot and scooted the furry material closer. Awkwardly, she used her knees to pry it apart, eventually revealing that it was her furs that she had been wearing before she had been kidnapped. In the middle of the bundle was something that looked to be a small loaf of bread and cheese. A small elated cry escaped from Kagome's lips. Teinosuke had fed her, a few times. But it wasn't exactly the normal 'three good meals a day' that a person required. As such, she was hungrier than she had ever been in her life.

She stretched down to grasp the warmth of her furs and the satiating food, until the chains that bound her wrists snapped short. Kagome let out a strangled, inarticulate wail and pulled in vain. She could feel the pressure on her shoulder joints as the bones threatened to dislocate themselves. Her arms burned with the strain but still she was no closer to her goal. Her muscles seemed to sigh in relief when she stopped. A sob flew from her throat; the toll that her imprisonment had been taking on her was more than evident. Despair she had never known threatened. She was tired, hungry, and beaten. How easy it would be to just lie back against the cold comfort of the stone and sleep until Teinosuke returned. How easy for her to just wait until her body gave out under the abuse of the demon lord and the hallucinations he sent. Kagome closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall behind her.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open. Several images sprang into her mind. InuYasha, Sango, and Miroku. Shippo and Kaede. And for some reason, Kikyo and the images Kagome had associated with Ayana and Kaori. The former people were her strength, the ones that she was strong for, and the ones that she drew strength from. The latter group she wasn't so sure, but now she seemed to draw some strength from the thought of them. Kagome had spent far too much time in the feudal era to pass off such thoughts at such a time. They meant something, even if she didn't know what it was. And they had helped her recover from the psychological pit she had nearly fallen into.

Rising away from the wall, she looked down at the fur and food before her. She thought for a few minutes before coming up with a plan. After what seemed to be an age of awkward maneuvering, Kagome finally managed to feed herself by balancing on the balls of her feet and picking up the hunk of bread in between her knees. By rocking back to bring her knees back up to her chest, she was able to bring the food in reach of her mouth. It was uncomfortable and it wasn't long until her legs started to complain, but it was worth it. She grinned as she hurriedly chewed. For a fleeting moment, her thoughts turned to the furs lying on the floor. She wasn't sure how she was going to work with those, but she'd figure it out later. Her mind turned back to the bread she had just finished and then concentrated on getting the cheese that remained.

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Ayame was pacing. The sun was beating down, but she refused to wait under the shade of the nearby sakura tree. She could see better if she stood at the edge of the hill. She was waiting at the appointed place for Kagome's promised message. It was midday and the demoness had been waiting since morning. The grass that she trampled under her feet was starting to wear thin. She was worried, incredibly worried. It was now a month since Kagome was supposed to leave her first message for her. The first time there was no notice left, Ayame had assumed that Kagome had yet to find a place to stay. She didn't expect her to return with a message until the next appointed time. The following meeting date, Ayame had been concerned. She didn't think it was likely that Kagome would miss two messages. When she had voiced her concerns to Koga, he reminded her that Kagome was human, it was more than possible that she may have gone too far and wouldn't make it back in time, or perhaps she had just been unable to make it at all, being tied up with her meditations as well as learning to live on her own.

Ayame had been placated, as such. But now there would be nothing Koga could say to calm her. The only reason she hadn't searched for Kagome previously was due to the oath that the mortal made her swear to. She had promised that she would not try to find her human friends. Kagome had insisted that she needed time alone.

The knot in the wolf princess's stomach grew until she could no longer stand it. She _knew _something was wrong. Spinning on her heel, she headed in the direction of the den, and Koga. If there was any danger, she wanted to have a party of demons with her.

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It had not taken much time to move Koga into action. He, too, had disturbed by Kagome's lack of notice. Since Ayame and the mortal had become friends, he had thought it best to wait for the demoness's word on the matter. It was likely that she would know more than he.

Presently, they were leading a small pack of wolves in the general direction of Kagome's scent. Within the pack there was Ayame, himself, Ginta, and Hakkaku. The latter two weren't always the bravest, but they were unfailingly loyal to their demon lord and lady, as well as to Kagome, whom they still considered a sister.

Koga headed the pack in a whirlwind, legs pumping hard as he inhaled deeply, dragging Kagome's scent into his nose and searching for its next source. He stopped when Ginta cried out to him and Ayame, who was but a few steps behind him.

"Ayame! Koga! Hold up for a second! Look at this!" His comrade yelled.

Ginta was still a considerable distance behind them, and far to their left. The area had gone unnoticed, as Kagome's scent was scattered around. They had already found several ties of rawhide, or sharp digs in tree trunks. These also smelled of Kagome and Koga had taken them to be markers. He was rather proud of the mortal. She was smarter than most humans he knew. And demons for that matter. Thinking as such, he headed in Ginta's direction, Ayame only slightly behind him, and Hakkaku following last. Koga hoped that it wasn't just another marker, but at the same time, he did. For markers meant that Kagome could still be ok.

Halting next to Ginta, the wolf lord looked down at the items to which his friend was so worked up over. A pack, a sword, scattered human food, and a bow with arrows. Ayame's voice whispered next to him as she too observed the objects and inhaled the faint scent.

"Oh Koga. It's Kagome's weapons."

Koga only nodded, dread starting to wrap around his mind. He noticed another scent mingled with Kagome's. It was demon. Thought the scent itself as faint, the tones of it were so strong that the youkai knew that the owner of the scent was probably a tyrant, and an evil one at that.

Hakkaku looked as his silent, contemplative lord.

"Kagome would never abandon all this Koga. What happened? Where do we start looking for her?" The other demons voice was tinged with worry. He too smelled the ominous odor.

"I know that Hakkaku. You smell that stench?" Koga's question was directed at his two vassals. They nodded vigorously.

"I want you to memorize it and follow it as far as you can. Then come find me. I have a bad feeling about this."

Ginta and Hakkaku bobbed their heads in unison once again, saluted, then sped off to the east, sniffing every so often rather heavily.

Koga turned and found Ayame slowly gathering their friend's things. When he stepped close to her, he could hear her sniffing, though not to pick up any scent. Bending down to gather up the bow and arrows, he met the demo ness's eyes. They were bright and held anger.

"Koga, we have to find whoever took her. You know it too, don't you? Kagome wouldn't just up and leave. Someone kidnapped her!"

"I know."

"Well? What the hell are we doing here? We should be out with those other two, looking for her!"

Ayame stood, slinging the pack over her shoulder and tying the sword on her hip, next to her own sheathed blade. Her eyes bore into his.

"We are going to go find InuYasha. She left him and the others. I didn't question it then, and I should have. But now I'm willing to bet that they might know some more about this."

Koga waited for Ayame to say something, anything. He figured she would reprimand him at least for not making Kagome tell him why she was leaving the group. Instead, she just nodded at his statement, then turned and started to head to the old woman's village, where InuYasha and the others usually were. The only thing on her mind was getting her friend back from whoever had taken her. Koga quickly followed her lead.

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Shippo followed closely behind Kaede. He held a large woven basket filled with herbs they had already picked. He enjoyed working with Kaede; she said he was getting quite good with learning the powers behind the mixing of certain herbs. That and she didn't act strange like Miroku and Sango whenever he asked about Kagome and InuYasha. Sango would get tense and try to come up with an answer to his question, Miroku would tell her to quit worrying and then Sango would snap at him. It was something that was happening a lot between the two of them lately. Before the other two members had left their group, everything had seemed to be going well, but now everyone seemed on edge. However, only Kaede seemed to be dealing with the stress well. She just said that there was nothing to do but wait, and pray.

Praying was almost foreign to Shippo, being a demon. All the same, it was something he took to. Every night, he sat and talked to the small herb garden he had started behind the hut. Kaede told him that the earth took care of them all, and so he continuously asked the earth to take care of Kagome. And InuYasha. True, InuYasha was mean to him most of the time, but a part of Shippo understood that this was simply the way InuYasha was. He would never actually hurt the younger demon. Shippo knew that in the end, InuYasha would help and protect him, however much he may bitch and complain about it later. He was like an older brother to Shippo, and so the kitsune asked the earth to take care of him too.

Shippo, lost in these thoughts, came to an abrupt halt as he nearly collided with Kaede, who had just stopped from her herb collecting in front of him.

"Kaede? What did you stop for? What's wrong?"

"I believe someone is coming to visit us."

Shippo laid the basket down and side stepped to see past the older woman. In the distance, he saw not one, but two whirlwinds. A quick sniff of the downwind that carried the scent confirmed his suspicions.

"That's Koga and Ayame. What are they doing here?"

Before Kaede could provide any kind of an answer, the fox cub was off. As his paws stuck an upbeat tempo with the ground, his stomach gave a slow churn. He felt like there was something wrong. Koga and Ayame usually didn't come here together. Koga would come to visit Kagome and Ayame would come to see where Koga was. Something was up.

The two spiraling winds met him just before the hut. Hearing the commotion of the small tornadoes, Sango returned from the spring, and Miroku was soon following behind Kaede.

A quick glance and Koga noticed that InuYasha was missing.

"Where the hell is InuYasha." he barked.

Sango looked from the Wolf Lord, to Ayame, to Koga again. "We don't know. He left some time ago, just after..." she paused at Koga's sudden intense countenance, "Just after Kagome left."

"What the hell happened that made Kagome leave? What did he do? I know that stupid asshole did something!"

Sango started to speak, but Miroku quickly interrupted.

"InuYasha and Kagome had a fight. A more serious one that usual and Kagome left. Shortly after that, InuYasha felt he needed some time alone as well. What's wrong Koga?"

It was Ayame's turn to interrupt this time. "Koga found Kagome and brought her to live with us. She stayed with us for some time, but about a month ago, she left to go on some sort of sabbatical. She was supposed to leave a notice every two weeks to let us know that she was ok, but we never received anything. We thought she might be in trouble. We found her pack and her weapons. But Kagome was gone. Someone's taken her." Ayame's voice was low and grave. At this point, she didn't really care what InuYasha did. Her concern for her friend overwhelmed everything else.

"The Master."

The group turned as one to look at the elder woman who had spoken. Kaede raised her head, apprehension in her eyes.

"Kagome spoke of a 'master' that the demons Merona and Nioaku had mentioned. He has been searching for her. I believe he is the one who has taken her."

Koga nearly pounced on the priestess. "Well, what does he look like? Where can we find him?" he yelled.

Kaede shook her head. "I know not. Ye would have to speak with InuYasha. He was with Kagome during the attacks, and though the Master never made an appearance that I'm aware of, he would have more information about the demon and his henchmen than I."

After being pulled back, the wolf demon received a scowl from Ayame for his actions towards the helpless woman.

"We need to find Kagome, Koga, but think first that these are her friends and as such they are our allies, not the enemy."

Thus reprimanded, Koga surveyed the group for a moment.

"And nobody knows where mutt-face is." A solemn shake of heads was seen all around, accompanied by the occasional sigh.

"Alright then. I'll just sniff him out and find where the cowards been hiding too. Shouldn't be too hard to locate his stench." His lip curled in distaste. Both he and Ayame raised their heads and inhaled deeply. Snapping his head towards the far end of the village, he narrowed his eyes.

"He went that way."

Before Sango could call out that she and Kirara had attempted to search and failed, Koga was gone, with Ayame close behind. Calling out to Kirara, Sango, Kaede and Shippo quickly climbed aboard the cat demon's back and headed towards Koga while Miroku pursued on foot.

It didn't take much time to reach the other side. Koga had already scanned a nearby riverbed and some caves in the surrounding area.

"He was definately here. And the scent is pretty fresh, so it was recently. Bastard's probably hiding still. COME OUT INUYASHA YOU DAMN COWARD!" Koga shouted at the treetops.

Sango approached him. "Koga, I was trying to tell you before you took off. Kirara and I went searching for him and couldn't find him."

The dark haired demon looked at the slayer for a moment. Then pointing in the direction of the river, he said

"If he's been staying here, he probably knew you went to look for him and hid in the river to mask his scent from Kirara. BUT YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH ME YOU MANGY DOG! I'M UP TO YOUR LITTLE TRICKS. YOU SUDDENLY GET A YELLOW STRIPE DOWN YOUR BACK OR SOMETHIN'? OR DID YOU JUST REALIZE THAT IT WAS ALWAYS THERE AFTER KAGOME FINALLY SMARTENED UP AND LEFT YOUR SORRY ASS?"

Koga's shout was directed again towards the woods. He hoped his goad that InuYasha's friends seemed so agape at would have the desired affect. The mutt was bull-headed and proud. And he was touchy with anything about Kagome.

After a few minutes, he turned. Had he been wrong? Had the mongrel fooled him too?

Indicating to the others to follow, Koga threw over his shoulder, "He probably took off. We have to find Kagome without him. She's in danger, and we don't have time to go chasin around after a stupid dog who's gotten himself lost."

They had barely moved another five steps before there was a soft whisper of leaves and a subtle thud as a weight touched down on the earth. Turning, the sestet saw a slightly damp, rather wary looking silver-haired hanyou.

"I never left. I've been keeping an eye on the village, but last time I checked there's nothing wrong with a guy needin' some time to himself."

Centering in on Koga, a low growl emitted from the back of his throat.

"I figured she went with you. I think you better start explaining how she's in danger"

The air felt alive with the tension that clung to it. Both InuYasha and Koga now stood facing each other, looking as though they were ready to tear each other apart. Ayame knew that the animosity between the two had never really been fatal. But know that each seemed to be equally blaming the other for Kagome's capture, she wasn't sure. The demoness attempted to talk to her lord, but it was useless, her hand was pushed away and she was ordered to leave it. Normally, Ayame would have spoken out against Koga, but something in his tone made her stop.

Chewing her bottom lip, a habit she picked up from Kagome, Ayame's eyes shot between the youkai and the hanyou. Neither was backing down.

They needed to stop and get to finding Kagome. But protests fell on deaf and enraged ears.

Just before InuYasha drew the Tetsusaiga, Ayame's only thought was,

_This is not going to be good..._

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A/N: Yeah, you guys all proabably thought I'd never update again hey? lol! Sorry, I was uber busy with school and work, and I had thought I had posted something here, but I forgot. Sorry about that. Well, I hope you liked the chapter, and I'm working on the next one. Will post as soon as I can. Thanks to all! Silverbeam


	20. Escape?

Lily let the cumbersome door close behind her. It was strange. Anyone would have thought that the door would have slammed, with it being so heavy. Instead, Teinosuke had done something with the engineering of the joints so that it always closed whisper-quiet. Lily shivered slightly. The pale yellow kimono she wore was thin, and the door closed off the warm air that wafted throughout the keep. The dungeon was always cold. She had been sent, rarely, to tend to the masters 'pet' within the past month, and always for short periods of time. The lynx demoness spoke little to the human, preferring to avoid discussion at all after their first encounter. After the master had returned, she hadn't really been needed to attend to the girl, but some faint hope still drove her to make sure that it was she that brought food to the human. It was easier then to bring something extra, to keep the girl's strength up. There had not been another chance to discuss the option of escape. But now the master was off hunting again.

Lily had felt a little ashamed of her behavior previously. After all, wasn't she in a similar position as the girl? Well, it wasn't the exact same. After all, Lily was in a much higher ranking to say the least. Kept against their will, they both needed each other to escape. The lynx demoness's lip curled in distaste. To think that she would need help from a human. Staring down the dark and narrow stairway, she sighed. Sitting on the step, Lily contemplated her actions. She had been watching the girl, sneaking down after the master had finished with his pet and the girl had passed into unconsciousness. Each time, the demoness had felt a swell of pity for the girl.

And yet, part of her still recognized something. Strength, a drive. A will to live and something more. Power. It wasn't something that any human she knew of had. Placing her head in her hands, she sighed again. I Am I really going to put my life in a girls hands/I Lily raised her head, her slitted eyes glazed as she contemplated everything that could go wrong. A clink and scrape roused her from herself. Her ears pricked as the noises continued.

The human was trying to escape. Lily rose and stared into the darkness, somewhat stunned. The master had come out glazed with sweat, with relish and excitement gleaming in his eyes. There was no doubt in Lily's mind that the Master had made every attempt to beat the young woman within an inch of her life. And still she was attempting to escape? Straightening, Lily made her steeled her resolve. Picking up the bundle she had brought with her and lighting the tallow, she descended the stone staircase.

Kagome winced as the pressure of the manacle crushing the small bones in her hand increased until she could no longer stand it. She relaxed again with a clink of metal. Despite her best efforts, and obvious weight loss, she was unable to pull her hands free of the irons. After a month of Teinosuke's company, with mental and physical torment, border lining the torture she had read of in her history books, she had nearly been completely broken. She cowered now whenever she heard anyone coming down the stone stairs, conditioned to hide from the blows from weapon or hand.

While the physical beatings were alternated between sudden and terrifying and slow and tortuous, Teinosuke played game that she could never win, the raping of her mind had very nearly her undoing. The demon had considerable knowledge of magic, and would always start with making a hearty attempt to find some unknown secret in her mind. She could feel his thoughts as though they were crawling, bony fingers, prodding here, ripping somewhere else, in search of some thought or memory that he was certain she was hiding, and that she was just as certain she knew nothing about. It left her disoriented and in pain, with the not unjustified sense of paranoia that her mind was no longer her own.

When the cruel intrusions failed, the Demon Lord fell back to his other choice method to pass his time. Her beatings. His favorite twist with this was to use the thoughts and memories he had pulled from her mind and use them against her. Aside from altering the perception of her surroundings, he could change his image at will. His personal favorite was to use images of those she cared about that he had ripped from her own thoughts, and become one of these people. Then he would change his tactics of torture, modifying it with arguments that he now knew she had had with others, and turning it against her.

In memory of this, Kagome's body curled on the floor as best it could in trained protective reflex. The intrusion of the demon into her thoughts, her mind, was vicious and agonizing. Her most private thoughts and imaginings were ripped open and exposed, his to touch, delve into, and use. An experience that happened regularly, it left her writhing in pain and breathless, feeling sick as though he had physically forced himself upon her. Teinosuke would wait until she had somewhat recovered. Then the act began. Hojo, Souta, Kaede, and even Sango, would each take their turn with the flat span of leather and beratements. The worst were always saved for last.

Part of Kagome took refuge in a small part of her mind. Perhaps it was her heart, or some hidden piece of her soul, she was no longer sure. It told her that it was not possible that these friends would do this, that it was Teinosuke that kept her and hurt her. This had worked so far, but she feared that she could feel even that blessed sanctuary being broken down

As she contemplated the deeds of two nights prior, her stomach churned, threatening to bring up some bilious matter. Returning to a crouch, the woman forced herself to breath slowly, forcing the illness down. Feral instincts had long taken over. Names and faces were memories. Memories that were now fused with the terrifying experiences of the last month. She had trouble associating them with any other meaning.

A scuff of shoes on stone froze her like a statue. Pulling her hands close and curling as much as possible to protect herself, Kagome felt her lip curl of its on accord. She heard a low growl, almost animalistic. Every muscle tightened as she waited for the silver haired demon to attack her. She did not, could not, realize the threatening noise was coming from her own throat. Her fingers touched and small blue spark crackled between them, but this too went unnoticed.

She flinched as the slippered feet descended the last steps, but as her eyes adjusted to the new light, her tense muscles relaxed. This creature was not one of the ones that threatened her. Still, the woman could not let her eyes leave the demon-girl, lest she make some sort of attack while the miko was caught unawares.

Lily hesitated after she had set her feet on the floor of the cool stone-work floor. The girl felt different. Even her smell had changed, under the dirt and blood. She was still wary, but the wariness had changed. On Lily's first visit, the miko's eyes had been suspicious, but planning. It was clear she was contemplating a way to escape. That had been changed in the course of her stay. Her eyes were blackened from lack of nutrition and sleep, narrowing against the light. They no longer held the plotting look; instead there was something completely feral. The disdain Lily had felt earlier dissipated. She was not in the room with a human. She was here with an animal. New revulsion swelled within her for her "Master". She may not have liked humans, but not even those filthy-blooded things deserved this sort of treatment.

Cautiously, she crouched and laid down the furred clothes and food she had brought. While the young woman watched her every move, Lily took account of the miko's state of dress. The chemise and skirt had been replaced, infrequently, with similar items of differing colors. Unfortunately, she could not tell the color of the rags the girl wore now.

Kagome kept her guard up as she reached out to at the items. Her old clothes felt warm and comforting in her hands. She barely tasted the food as she gulped it down. Gods knew what it was, she didn't. Meeting the demoness's gaze head on, she spoke. "Why are you bringing my clothes back?" Her voice was a rasp. Her hands nervously wrung the material as she waited the answer. She had to get out!

"We're leaving." Lily replied.

Kagome's breath stopped in her chest. Leaving? A multitude of thoughts burst in her head. Joy at the thought, wariness of Lily, fear of Teinosuke.

Lily didn't wait for her consent, and approached head down with the key ring in hand "He's gone hunting and won't be back for some time. We can head for the waters, lose him there, and run. I have distant cousins, I will return to exact my revenge. I can drop you off at the nearest village." She raised her head as she picked out the correct key.

Kagome took an instinctive step back and glared. She didn't trust this demon. Lily may have been the kinder to her as of late, but she was also the one to assist Teinosuke. She held her hands close to her.

Lily sighed, exasperated. Leaning her head in, she spoke firmly, "Listen, if you want to stay here and endure his beatings, so be it. I'm offering you a way out. I tire of him. You are only human and he will kill you soon. You should feel lucky that I'm even bothering." Seeing no change in Kagome's face, the she demon changed her tactic. "OK. I need you to get out. You have a power human, you can probably mask our scent, we can get away, I think you could even break out the doors." Lily hesitated. The human seemed to be responding now. "But before we can get away, I need to unlock your chains. You need to let me at your chains to do that."

Kagome waited again, unsure of what to do next. The opportunity seemed too good to be true. Yet there was no tell-tale gleam in the demoness's eye. Instead she seemed to have one ear cocked to the door. Her hands were wringing the key in nervousness. Kagome stretched her arms out as far as she could. "Be quick."

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The rage of the two youkai permeated the air, sending lesser demons and animals hiding. Tetsusaiga sang as InuYasha pulled it free from the scabbard.

"I don't want to waste time on a flea-bitten wolf when Kagome's in danger." InuYasha spoke, "She went to you. You were supposed to protect her", he ground out.

Koga crouched and prepared to leap, claws extended. "I'm not the type to try and keep a woman when she doesn't want to stay," he spat, "She was safer in my pack than she had been in months with you. I ensured a system to make sure she had her freedom, but that she would be safe. I don't have to explain myself to you." Koga ended with a threatening growl.

Anger flamed in InuYasha. "Safe? _SAFE?_ She was captured by a demon that wants to kill her! You kept her safe? You're a waste of skin and bones!" He barked. Both demons prepared to attack, their friends helpless on either side. Shippo was furious with the two of them. How could they continue this? Who knew how long the Demon had had Kagome? He searched the ground for an acorn, a leaf, anything he could use to transform and throw at the two volatile youkai.

A flash in the trees caught his eye. Before he could act, a loud crash sounded, startling all and bringing InuYasha's and Koga's attention away from their fight. A splash shortly after confirmed whatever had caused the noise was by, or now in, the river.

"We're being spied on." Ayame whispered, her voice harsh. Ignoring the rest, she headed towards the sound, sniffing quickly and deeply to try and catch a scent. She couldn't smell the demon... what the hell had caused that noise? The river wasn't far and she stopped shortly, with the other coming quickly behind her.

Looking up into the small canopy of the trees, they could see where whatever it was had fallen. Branches had been torn and broken. Yet the creature that had fallen in the water seemed to be gone. The half demon and the wolf lord started scanning the banks, while Kirara, Sango and Shippo headed to the other side to investigate. Ayame headed up the tree while Miroku stood watch.

As she climbed, the wolf princess kept her nose close to the bark. No scent. Or very little at the least. It didn't make any sense. What minute scent was there was completely unrecognizable. Yet it wasn't the stench of anything the Demon had either. Ayame was still contemplating when she heard the shout from Sango on the other side of the river. Dropping down, she followed the two other youkai and the monk as they headed for Sango's voice.

"What did you find Sango?" Miroku called out when he had spotted her. Sango's rushed movements and scowl forbade any further noise. The foursome stopped in their tracks and proceeded with greater caution. When they reached the slayer and the other two demons, they crouched with them behind the underbrush they were using as cover. Sango pressed a finger to her lips and pointed over the top of the brush. InuYasha would have been certain it was the one of the demon master's underlings, had it not been for the light in Sango's eyes. Holding their breaths, the group peeked past their hiding place.

To see the soaking ball of black fur.

A black bear cub sat cleaning herself vigorously. Ayame smiled. They didn't see many cubs around, but it would explain the destruction of the tree branches and the splash. The poor animal probably crawled up the tree in play and panicked when she found she couldn't get down as easily. She still couldn't figure out why she couldn't smell the bear, but thought perhaps the bear had waded through the water first, thus diluting her scent. Ayame was confirming this for herself when she thought she saw the cub pause in her ministrations to very quickly look directly at their hiding spot.

Shippo breathed through his mouth and tried to crouch forward on hands and knees. He wanted to get just a bit closer, the cub seemed pretty tame. Then a small branch popped under his hand.

The cub jolted up to all fours. Making a bleat of fear she started to back up. Shippo hopped up himself, to the whispered recriminations of his friends. The cub watched him.

"No, I think it's ok guys..."

Sango watched the cub. Seeing that no mother was about to bound out of the woods to tear them to shreds, she too stood, followed by Ayame, InuYasha and Koga.

The cub's eyes rested on each as they came into view, but did not relax.

"Where's her mom Sango?" Shippo asked.

"I dunno. She could be an orphan. Bears aren't all that common around here, she might have been..." Sango hesitated, "...killed."

"We should leave her be."

Shippo turned on Koga. "How can you say that? I was an orphan y'know! It's not easy living by yourself when you're that small!!" the kitsune glared then turned back to the cub. Extending a hand, he walked towards her "Hey girl, c'mon." he called.

The cub bleated again, backing up as Shippo approached before turning and loping off in the opposite direction.

"I told you kid, ya gotta leave her be. She wild, she'll find a way. We don't have time to get you a pet now" Koga called.

InuYasha agreed. His anger at the wolf demon had dissipated for the time being. He watched as Shippo turned back to follow them, looking crestfallen. As such, he was the first to see the cub walk back through the grasses and cry at Shippo. The group turned, confused. Shippo again tried to walk towards the cub, a little slower this time. The little black bear let him get so far, further than he had gone before, even InuYasha and others following behind. The little fox-demon even got closer than he had earlier, before the cub once again, turned and loped off the opposite way. Sango frowned. "If I didn't know better... I'd say she was trying to get us to follow her."

Miroku smiled at the youkai slayer. "Sango, she's an animal, not a youkai. Just a wild beast. She couldn't possibly have the understanding to have us follow her anywhere. And even if she did, where would she lead us? Her den? She probably has just taken a liking to Shippo." Even as Sango was just starting to scowl at Miroku demeaning tone, there was a sharp and rather angry bark from where the cub had disappeared. The group turned to find the cub now glaring rather pointedly at them. Or rather, Miroku.

InuYasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and walked towards the bear. Eyeing him, the cub turned herself and walked a slower pace ahead of him, turning every couple of steps to make sure he was still there. InuYasha called over his shoulder. "We're following the cub Miroku, misunderstanding beast or not. She seems to know something we don't."

As the remainders of the group caught up, the cub picked up her speed. It wasn't long before they were passing the center of the village. InuYasha worked his way over to Ayame.

"Ayame, I want you to go find Kaede. She can help us find Kagome and show her how to fight back if she needs to. She can help to if Kagome's..." he stumbled on his words, "if Kagome's hurt."

Ayame nodded and veered towards the village. Kaede had returned to the village after InuYasha and Koga had started to fight. Now Ayame could see her just inside, talking to a neighbor, explaining herbs. Ayame waved frantically as she jogged up to the older woman. Before she reached her, a though suddenly struck the wolf demoness.

The black bear cub had been running far faster than was normal. And she had blue eyes.

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A/N: Ok guys, I'm really really sorry for 2 things. 1st that it's taken me so long to update. I've been super busy and the times that i haven't been, I couldn't think of anything to write. Also that this is a short chapter. I just that that this would be a good place to hold for now ;) Hope you enjoy, comments and constructive crits are appreciated and welcomed :) ttyl! Silverbeam


	21. Finding

Kagome rubbed her wrists, being particularly careful around the opened wounds. Her back was still complaining, but she pushed it far into the back of her mind as she kept her eyes on Lily's back. They climbed the stairs to the obsidian door that had locked her away from the rest of the world for over a month. They had spent precious minutes trying to get her muscles to agree with the forgotten idea of standing up straight. Now it seemed that each step up was taking an eternity. Both woman and demoness knew that the room and stairway were nearly soundproof, but held their breath anyway, being extra careful to tread lightly, jumping when the other made even the slightest scratching noise with a misplaced step. Finally, they reached the top.

Lily paused, her hand on the door. She could feel the tremble in her hands, could see that it was causing the candlelight to flicker. She tried to mentally curse herself for her weakness, but could only see the possible league of minions and Teinosuke himself standing outside the door, already aware of her plan, her deceit, the hate that she had borne for him ever since he had killed her tribe. She had never been afraid before, but that was under the intentions to plot of sneaking out in the dark, alone, without much chance of her being caught. She had quickly been filled with the idea of vengeance, but now was thinking second thoughts. The dangers of taking someone else with her. The human might slow her down! Lily's thoughts ran like quicksilver, she was afraid to go, yet afraid to stay.

She could feel the breath of the girl, _Kagome... with the power_ and it urged her to move forward. Placing a hand on the door she pushed with the lightest amount of pressure. The large door didn't move. With hands that were shaking slightly, she pushed again. The door moved open a crack, just enough for Lily to peek out. Taking a cautious look around through the narrow passage, the two confirmed for themselves that it would be safe enough to open the door enough to walk though. Both breathed a little easier after swinging open the oh-so-quiet door to find that the chamber was empty. Lily had stripped off the kimono, under which she had donned close-fitting leather garments much like what Kagome had. Lily had made them herself after trying on Kagome's and finding that while they were considerably bigger, they were much easier to move in. Now without her wrappings to confine her, Lily remembered her agility and grace as she quickly outstripped Kagome's speed when crossing the length of room, staying low to the ground. Despite the dead quiet that permeated the building, both felt the desperate need to try to be as silent as possible, as invisible as could be.

Reaching the far end of the room, Lily quickly cast a glance down the hallway. The throne room was the center of the entire structure. The halls and rooms wrapped around it, twisting and turning. While not a labyrinth, it took some time to get to the outer gates and freedom. In fact, it took some time to get anywhere really. Lily knew the shortest routes, but there were passages that Teinosuke chose not to share with her that allowed him to move much more freely. Lily still didn't know how many servants were still in the castle, so her guard was up. She could sense that Kagome didn't even need to be told to watch her step. The girl behind her was that high-strung she was bound to climb the walls at the slightest hint of recapture.

Lily almost chuckled at the thought before realizing that she would join Kagome in the cold shackles should they be caught. And Teinosuke would not be likely to treat a traitor on the same level as a new toy.

It took some time, but after much whispered instructions and nearly noiseless footsteps, Lily had guided them to the midpoint of their path to the main door. _Why is there no one here?? _the demoness was getting nervous. Certainly, there had been times when there were few staffed in the castle, but she could never recall a time when there had been no one patrolling not even one of the halls. She was jumpy and adrenaline was pumping too quickly through her system, as much from Kagome's skittishness as from her own nerves. Sweat beaded both of their brows despite the rather cool temperature inside. The length of time it had taken them to come this far seemed indeterminable.

She stopped, hearing footsteps. A feather light touch caused her to jump. "Sorry," Kagome had reached out to Lily trying to keep her still, "I hear footsteps... but I don't sense Teinosuke. A guard maybe?" she whispered.

Lily nodded and quickly peered around the corner. There was the guard, leaning against a wall. He seemed bored, a strange thing for a guard of the Demon Lord's castle to be. Turning back to Kagome, she motioned for the young priestess to take care of the guard quietly. Kagome was utterly confused. How was she supposed to 'take care of' the guard?

"C'mon! Aren't you a miko?" the demoness hissed. "I'm not a miko!" Kagome shot back. Pushing the cat demon out of the way, a little rougher than normal. "I'm something entirely different" she muttered, under her breath.

Kagome stood and eyed the guard, still uncertain as to what exactly she was supposed to do. The lack of weapons cancelled the idea of disarming him, and she certainly wasn't strong enough to physically attack him. Her thoughts settled on a barely remembered image, one of a spark between fingers forced close by shackled wrists. _No... there's still the miasma... _Kagome could still feel the dampening pressure of Teinosuke's magic. Her mind kept turning back to that spark though. Had she been getting stronger then? Had the miasma and the necklace actually helped her? Kagome's hand strayed to the gem on her neck, her eyes still pinned on the inattentive guard, and considered this. _...Maybe.... just..... hmmm_.

Very tentatively, she stretched out her powers, seeing again that small thin beam of light. However now, the light was no longer in its rigid form, but looser now. Still controlled, but it bent with ease around objects. Kagome fleetingly thought that this might indicate an increased level of comfort with her power, but the idea faded just as quickly before it was fully considered as the curvaceous light beam reached the guard. Focusing on what it was that she wanted to do, Kagome watched as the light touched the man, as the guard seemed to jump, realizing that something wasn't quite right, before his arms dropped to his sides and he slumped back against the wall, down to the floor.

Lily was out and at his side mere seconds after his eyes shut. "Hey! I didn't think you would be able to kill with that!"

Kagome frowned, a mix of worry and fear skipping across her features. "No, I only wanted to knock him out." She leaned down and pressed two fingers where a pulse should be. Her breath stopped a moment, afraid of what she might had accidently done, before releasing in a whoosh as the steady _bump...bump...bump_ assured her that his heart was still in working order. She could only hope that his mind would be the same. She didn't like the idea of destroying another...

Lily shook her head. _Still a foolish mortal, _she thought _Does she really think she can avoid killing always??_ The she-demon allowed only another second or so for Kagome to consider her actions before tugging on the girls sleeve and hurrying down the hall. With Kagome close on her heels, they found that there were few other guards. More than had been present within the heart of the keep, certainly, but Lily was still not comfortable, and mentioned so to Kagome.

"So stop complaining, I just want to get the hell out of here! If there are less people for us to sneak around, the quicker we can get away!" Kagome hissed. The silence was oppressive and only increased her anxiety. She also agreed that it was too quiet in the keep, but the deep-seated drive to get away ignored the cautions her mind, and Lily, brought up.

"Miko, this is _Teinosuke's _castle. Not once, in all of my employ, has there been so little protection! There's something going on, I don't like this."

"Well what do you propose we do?"

"I'm not sure. We've just got to take it slow, keep our guard up..."

Kagome sighed. "Maybe Teinosuke has them routed elsewhere... there has to be others he's pissed off to start a war with or something..." She was hopeful.

"Oh probably... but I tend to destroy those I 'piss off' rather quickly."

****************************************************************

Sango was starting to get winded. She couldn't understand how this little bear was running so quickly. It didn't feel like a demon, nor did it seem possessed. Yet no matter how hard they tried to catch up to it, the cub was always just ahead. The demon slayer hoped that Ayame would be able to catch up with Kaede in time. She also hoped that they weren't wrong in following this entity.

"Hey! It's stopping up ahead!" InuYasha's voice travelled back from his lead position. Sango hoped that wherever the cub had lead them, it wasn't somewhere that would become a trap.

The group stopped, somewhat breathless, amongst a small copse of trees some number of miles off from the base of a mountain. Shippo glanced over to the looming mound of stone to his right. It gave him an uneasy feeling, making his fur stand on end. He couldn't detect a specific scent, but there was something ominous on the wind.

A yelp rang out, closer to the mountain than what Shippo would have preferred. The group started towards the sound, each member spotting a flash of black tail. The fox cub quickly scrambled up onto the back of a transformed Kirara. The mountain had barely been in view when they started. Kami knew how far they had run already. There was a muttered curse up ahead as the cub's tail ducked out of sight once again.

InuYasha was tired and exasperated. He was absolutely fed up with this stupid little cub! She was running them around in circles! "WOULD YOU JUST FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU WANT TO GO???!! DAMN BEAST!" he barked.

The noise of the cub ahead stopped abruptly. _Stupid InuYasha, couldn't you have kept your mouth shut? Now we've lost her! _Miroku's thoughts were bitter, but were cut short. Why were they so concerned about where the cub was taking them anyway? They didn't even know where she was leading them, and aside from a whim, they had no other reason to follow in the first place..... _What the.... _

The group had slowed to a walk, cautiously heading to where they had last seen the cub.

"This was a waste of time, InuYasha." Koga spoke up. "Why did you bother leading us after the cub? She was probably just looking for someone to play, she's not very old. We should be looking for Kagome, not chasing bears through the woods. How much time have we--"

"Shut up wolf."

InuYasha took some slow sniffs in the air. It was there, and it was strong. But he hadn't scented it before. Not even a whiff. He should have caught a slight scent before coming upon it... shouldn't he? Koga's indignant claims rang through him, bringing him back from his thoughts. Something about InuYasha daring to hush him... whatever.

"I told you once wolf. Shut. Up." The hanyou's voice was low this time, not even bothering to look at the wolf youkai.

Sango was getting tired of the anger and bickering between the two demons. It was getting them nowhere. From the corner of her eye, she could see Miroku was feeling the same way, and Shippo was quietly fuming off to the side, also tired of InuYasha and Koga's behaviour, but unable to step between them.

The taijiya took firm hold of her hiraikotsu. She had to have these two separated if they were going to find Kagome. They didn't have time for fuming male tantrums.

Small bear cries sounded in the forest to their left. InuYasha flew off to find the cub, the scent that he knew too well was filling his nose, the air seemed so thick with it. The remainder of the party followed behind, somewhat startled by the hanyou's sudden departure.

InuYasha could see the small mound of fur that they had been chasing for the better part of the day. The bear cub's back end was all that stuck out from behind an outcropping of moss-covered rocks.

"Hello little one" a voice, low and soft, came from behind the rocks. InuYasha skidded to a stop, the party nearly crashing into him. It couldn't be who he thought he was; it wasn't possible.

As the group circled wide around the rocks, they could see Kikyo half-crouched towards the bear cub with her head tilted, as if listening intently to what the small animal had to say. She snapped her head upwards. She nodded. InuYasha wasn't sure if the gesture was directed at them, herself, or perhaps the little cub. InuYasha caught himself. Kikyo was erratic, if nothing else, but not insane. Seriously talking to unintelligible beasts was out of the question.

"So," Kikyo began, straightening. "You need some assistance in finding your little lost priestess?"


End file.
